Lousy weather had impact on parade

Walter Sprague
Art and Culture Reporter
 
Last week’s snowstorm had a definite impact on the annual Parade of Lights in Newcastle. Twenty-five businesses entered floats to process down Main Street last weekend, only to get snowed out. While the storm did not cancel the parade, it did delay it for a week. And it wasn’t without losses.
The floats decorated, the work done, and then the storm hit. Many businesses had to take their floats apart after the original date. After all, work must continue. So, when the parade did take place on Saturday, Dec. 7, only 14 of the original 25 entries were able to make it.
But the parade did go on, and people lined Main Street to enjoy the decorations, the sounds, and plenty of candy thrown out for the kids (and some adults as well). Andy McKay was the emcee as the floats drove slowly by, to the appreciation of all.
Beautiful weather during the day turned cold, about 25 degrees, by the time the parade started at 6 p.m. Some businesses stayed open late, offering cookies, coffee, punch, and a place to warm up a bit into the night hours. They included Second’s, WC Sports and Western Wear, and Amanda’s on Main. Amanda Bench had Santa drop by her establishment to greet the kids and take their Christmas wishes. Despite the impact of the storm, the crowd had a good time, and folks were not willing to take a pass on their annual celebration.
The floats went before some judges at Newcastle High School earlier in the evening. The four judges were Walter Sprague, Warren Lange, Michelle Gemmet and Jeffery Flanders. The three winning floats are as follows: 
Third place went to Weston County Health Services with its splash of color and flashes of light depicting a scene with reindeer and trees. Coming in second was the Wyoming Honor Conservation Camp and a scene with real trees, a snowy hill and a real fire built inside a firepit, all lit up with strings of lights. The first-place winner was a labor-intensive lighted hillside (lit from within), complete with snowmobile, constructed by Cambria Bowhunters. Congratulations went out to all the winners. Sandra Martin, of Team Properties, expressed her thanks to everyone who participated, and especially to all the people who braved the cold to enjoy the Parade of Lights.