Bartlett drew an estimated 8,000 or more onlookers Saturday along Stage Road to cheer on the Christmas parade and celebrate the holiday.
Groups vied for honors on how well their floats represented the 2015 theme, “The Magic of Christmas.” The winners included:
- Sweepstakes trophy for best float overall: Bon Lin Elementary School once again took top honors, winning the Sweepstakes trophy just as it did in 2014.
- Santa’s trophy for schools: First place, Oak Elementary; second place, Bartlett Elementary; and third place, Altruria Elementary.
- Business trophy: First place, Southern Vintage, and second place, Incredible Pizza.
- Civic groups’ trophy: First place, Cub Scout Pack 334; second place, Cub Scout Pack 258; and third place, Memphis Irish Society.
- Spirit of Christmas trophy: First place, Bartlett United Methodist Church; second place, East Side Baptist Church; and third place, Whitten Road Baptist Church.
Debbie Gelineau, Bartlett community relations director, said, “We were really excited this year that the weather was perfect for the floats, and we had 18 floats.”
She noted that eight of them were from Bartlett schools and said, “That stepped the parade up a notch and gave it more of a hometown feel.”
Parade participants
The following schools, groups and businesses participated in the parade and, where applicable, listed their floats’ themes:
- Altruria Elementary and PTO, “A Magical Night Before Christmas”
- Bon Lin Elementary School, “North Pole Christmas”
- Appling Middle School, “A Wildcat Christmas Morning”
- Bartlett Elementary School, “Polar Express”
- Ellendale Elementary, “Spike Is Dreaming of a White Christmas”
- Oak Elementary PTO, “T’was the Night Before Christmas”
- Cub Scout Pack 258, “Magic of Scouting”
- Cub Scout Pack 334, unnamed float
- Cub Scout Pack 439, unnamed float
- Memphis Irish Society, “The Magic of Christmas Brings Memories to Life”
- Charlind’s Non Pareil, “The Real Magic of Christmas”
- Southern Vintage Company, “Christmas Magic Starts at Southern Vintage Company”
- Memphis Incredible Pizza Company, unnamed float
- Bartlett United Methodist Church, “The Real Magic of Christmas”
- Whitten Baptist Church, “Let His Word Unwrap the Magic of Christmas”
- East Side Baptist Church, “The Magic of the Very First Christmas”
Written by Carolyn Bahm, Express editor. Call her at (901) 433-9138 or email her at bartlett.editor@journalinc.com.
