EDEN, N.C. — Meet the three ladies who are saving a longtime Christmas tradition in Rockingham County.
Ingrid McCraw, Sandra Meadows, and Leslie Wyatt are stepping up to the plate. The Eden women are currently organizing the Olde Leaksville Nighttime Christmas Parade.
The 2024 parade almost didn't happen, as the previous year's organizer, Eden's Chamber of Commerce, decided it would not throw future parades.
The chamber began looking for people to take the reins, saving the parade that has been a community staple of holiday cheer.
Eager to continue the tradition, McCraw, Meadows, and Wyatt, united by the 'ROCO Is Home' group got to work.
"Between the three of us we will put it on until we can't anymore, or until we don't want to, but Peggy did amazing and well go ahead and put that little nugget out there, she's actually going to be our Grand Marshal," exclaimed McCraw and Meadows.
The name Peggy Good is mentioned a lot around the city when it comes to the parade. As the story goes, Good operated as Head Elf for decades, organizing the parade mostly by herself before the chamber took over. The new organizers shared a surprise with WFMY News 2 Wednesday, that Good would be the 2024 Grand Marshal.
While attendees can expect the same holiday spirit as years past, there will be some changes to this year's parade. For starters, it will be shorter. Check out the updated route here.
The parade will be on Friday, November 29th at 6:30 p.m.