EDEN, N.C. — For now, the future of Eden's Christmas parade is up in the air. The uncertainty comes as the group who hosted the event last year said they will not do it again this holiday season.
The news gained mixed reaction from the community, many disappointed to learn a Christmas tradition may not take place. For example, the London family had big plans for 2024.
"We we're going to decorate our boat, Christmas tree, let the kids dress it up and actually put it in the same parade, but once I saw that and I told them, they we're very disappointed," said Rockingham County resident, Timothy London.
For now, the London family plans are on the back burner as Eden's Chamber of Commerce searches for a different group to put the parade on. The chamber posted to social media last week saying the parade "falls outside the primary scope of our mission."
"Our mission is to help and support businesses and we do try to promote the businesses, but to actually put on a parade just did not fit into the actual promotion of the businesses themselves," explained Eden Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, Jim Burnette.
The parade has been going on for decades, but it wasn't until recent years that the chamber took it over.
"This was started by the downtown merchants and a lady named Peggy Good who did a lot of good. Ironically that's her last name, but she did a lot of good for this downtown and one of those things was she started the Christmas parade," recalled Preppy Pirate Outfitters owner, Chris Nelson.
Burnette said the chamber made the decision months ago and had private conversations with several groups trying to get them to take it over.
"That's what we really wanted to do was someone to say 'Yes, I will lead this, I will take this over, I will lead this, I will organize this, it just didn't happen,'" he said.
It was not until after the chamber made the news public that interest started rolling in. Burnette said a meeting is being held Tuesday morning at 11:00 a.m. for people who are interested in hosting. Burnette hopes a leader emerges from the meeting to take the event over and other attendees offer to help.