It’s been awhile since we’ve had a parade entry but we entered in the Rogers and Bentonville Christmas parades this year.
If you’ve checked in to having a parade entry for candidates, you probably know that is not always possible. Our club can have a float though, which will give our candidates an opportunity to participate in the parade.
BCRW has registered a parade entry with a car and walkers in these two parades (times listed are start times so plan to be there earlier):
- Rogers Christmas Parade 7pm on Friday, December 4
- Bentonville Christmas Parade 11am on Saturday, December 12
Need for Both Parades
We picked a pretty easy format since we didn’t know how many people would participate.
- It would be IDEAL to have a Christmas character in the passenger seat (it cannot be a Santa).
- We also need two people to carry the BCRW banner.
- Walkers to show support for our party. The walkers can be anyone who wants to walk. The idea is to show up in big numbers though. Please wear red. Your kids are welcome to walk with us.
About the Rogers Christmas Parade
2015 Parade Car Before the Rogers Christmas Parade on December 4.
The parade starts at 7:00 pm. Anyone wishing to walk with us needs to be at the Rogers Heritage High School stadium parking lot between 6:30 and 6:45.
Click here for the link to the parade route.
Our entry is Carrie’s black Corvette, two walkers in front with our brand-spanking-new BCRW banner, and Republican walkers. BCRW has paid the fee so there is no cost for the candidates to participate in our parade entry. We are #58 so it’s near the back.
There is a theme they would like us to incorporate: Twas the Light Before Christmas. Maybe we could all wear those battery-powered strands of Christmas lights. Ideas welcome.
They don’t have a lot of restrictive guidelines this year regarding political candidates. They assured us there will be some guidelines ready for next year though (sigh). Maybe if we are super-careful, they will go easy on the new restrictions.
They did allow candidates to have their own float but entry deadline is past. If you thought ahead and got registered, good for you.
If you are walking with BCRW, you may have a sign and it is fine with us if you want to have one person hold your sign (or your candidate’s sign) while you hand out candy personally. They ask us to hand out candy rather than tossing it (safety reasons).
About the Bentonville Christmas Parade
Benton County Republican Women and Republican Women of Bentonville share an entry in the Bentonville Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 12. Candidates are not allowed to have floats in this parade. However, candidates are welcome to walk with our parade entry.
We are inviting Republicans, elected officials, and candidates to walk with us. Kids are welcome to join us. We hope candidates especially will take advantage of this opportunity. Let’s show up big.
The Rogers Christmas parade last week was a really great experience. Don’t miss the chance to participate in this one.
What to Look For at the Staging Area
Our entry is a black Corvette convertible. We’ll also have a banner for each club (one in back and one in front, each held by two walkers) and our Republican walkers in between. BCRW and RWB paid the fee so there is no cost for the candidates to participate with our parade entry.
We are in Section C, Entry 56.
The check-in area is the Walmart Home Office parking lot behind the fire station. There are parking areas designated close by for your personal vehicles. The staging area is off SW 8th Street.
Walkers can enter the staging area between 9:00 and 10:00 am. Section C will be lined up by 10:15 a.m. Parade starts at 11:00. It appears that Section C floats will begin moving at 11:40.
I don’t know about you but that sounds like a great time to wander around and talk with people who are also waiting. 🙂
There will be free coffee and portable restrooms.
Candidate Promotion Guidelines
Candidates can hold signs and wear their logo candidate apparel. You are encouraged to hand out (not throw) candy. KIDS ARE WELCOME TO WALK. The walkers can be anyone who wants to walk. The idea is to show up in big numbers though. Please wear red.
Parade Route
Here is the Bentonville Christmas parade route.
Here is is map of the parade route. The yellow line on Main Street is where the parade will be. Blue is where walkers will exit and red is where floats and their drivers will exit. Photo courtesy of Downtown Bentonville, Inc.