VALE — Downtown Vale was awash with twinkling lights, music and holiday fare Saturday, Dec. 10, at the inaugural Vale Christmas Light Parade.
The event, sponsored by the Vale Chamber of Commerce and the Malheur Enterprise, featured more than 20 floats and a crowd of spectators who braved the cold.
With the only requirement for entry to have Christmas lights, the parade drew trucks, trailers and ATVs along with local businesses, community organizations and local law enforcement.
“It was really, really well attended,” said Karlene Keller, a parade organizer.
The participants lined up at the Vale High School tennis courts, moved down A Street West and finished at Bixby’s Stopitoff Coffee.
Keller said the event’s timing just happened to line up with the Starlite Cafe’s Candy Cane and Cocktails event. The Starlite Cafe’s event, which followed the parade, featured live music and the grand opening of the restaurant’s full bar and salad bar.
Keller said the chamber’s purpose in organizing events like Saturday’s parade is to bring the community together and promote local businesses downtown.
“The whole idea with getting events into town is about getting people in town,” Keller said.
Keller said the organizers didn’t plan to judge floats as the organizers wanted to see how the event went in its first year.
However, the chamber did pick some overall “fan favorites” – including Weatherby’s, first; Farmers Supply Co-op, second; and Brandon Johnson, third.
Tom Vialpando, Vale mayor and chamber secretary, wrote on his Facebook page that the parade was a success.
“Awesome community events such as the parade is what brings folks together and makes Vale a great community,” Vialpando said.
Enterprise)
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