The City of Brundidge ushered in the Christmas season Tuesday night with its annual Christmas Parade.

Dorthea Dow, president of the sponsoring Brundidge Business Association, said that it was a great parade and a huge parade, perhaps the biggest and best ever.”

“It was a perfect night for a parade and I’m excited as all members of the BBA are,” Dow said. “The parade seems to grow every year. A Christmas event like this makes us all feel like we are part of something special. We are a close-knit community. We’re family and this brings us closer together as a community.”

Mayor Jimmy Ramage agreed and expressed appreciation to all of those who made the Christmas Parade such a great success.

He introduced Jennifer Amlong and her family who donated the city’s 2013 Community Christmas Tree and Mary Turner who donated the Liberty Tree.

The students in grades one through six at Pike County Elementary School entertained the large gathering with six Christmas songs they learned in music class.

The students participated in the Christmas Parade program on a volunteer basis but all students learned the songs in class.

Kerri Taylor, PCES music instructor, estimated that nearly 200 students participated.

“We had 200 bells to give out for the Jingle Bell Jog and almost all of them were taken,” she said. “The students were excited to be a part of the parade.”

The students sang from the porch of the historic Bass House and Taylor said it was as if they were performing on stage.

“They loved it,” she said.

Anita Grant, PCES principal, said participation in the parade was an opportunity for the students and their parents to be more involved in the community.

“Through participation, they feel more a part of the community,” she said. “They feel like they belong and that they contribute. This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to be involved and we appreciate that opportunity.”

The BBA brought back the Brundidge Bucks program this year. Names were drawn for Brundidge Bucks to be used to make purchases in participating businesses in town.

“It’s just one way that we can encourage people to shop at home,” Dow said. “We appreciate the support of the merchants who participated and encourage everyone to shop at home first. We all benefit when we shop at home.”