Holiday parade to step off Saturday

NORWAY — This year's holiday parade will feature more than a dozen beauty queens riding in a horse-drawn wagon, Maine roller derby skaters and, of course, Santa and Mrs. Claus riding in their sleigh of lights.

The event not only includes a host of parade marchers but also a variety of activities along Main Street including "Elf Stops" where visitors can get warm drinks and munchies while perusing the stores. There will be a chance to get an autograph of roller derby skaters at the L.F. Pike & Son store and the beauty queens at Cafe Nomad, and people can meet Santa and Mrs. Claus at the Norway Fire Station after the parade.

"Norway Maine Street is obviously the place to be before during and after the parade," said Recreation Director Deb Partridge of the annual Oxford Hills Chamber of Commerce event that steps off at 2 p.m. from Market Square on Nov. 28 and ends at Butters Park in Norway where the Christmas tree will be lit.

Although the parade has always had one or two beauty queens, this year Su Ying of Element Day Spa and the Miss Maine 2002 title holder, was able to arrange to have 13 beauty queens from Maine and Massachusetts participate in the parade. They include Miss Maine United States, Miss Teen Maine United States, Miss Massachusetts United States and many more title holders, including three crowned last weekend.

Ying said because the Miss Maine organization is having its pageant in Portland this weekend, she was able to get the women to come to Norway for the parade. Several more were unable to attend because of conflicting pageant schedules.

The beauty queens will be greeted by representatives of Norway Downtown at the end of the parade and will be escorted to Cafe Nomad where people can come by and chat with them and get their autographs.

At L.F. Pike & Son, parade-goers will be able to meet some of the Maine roller derby skaters including Shirley B. Slammin, Grim D. Mise and Rehabiliskater from the two teams, the Port Authorities and Calamity James, that play at the Portland Expo. The Oxford Hills Technical School will have a bake sale and sell wreaths and Christmas trees at L.F. Pike & Son.

Beyond the novelty of the beauty queens and roller derby skaters, parade-goers will see a host of other floats including vintage vehicles, animals, an eco-bike by the McDonald's Up Team and much more.

At Bob Butters Park at the intersection of Main and Water streets, Christmas carols will be sung and Santa will pass out his "magic dust" to the children to help light the trees. Santa and Mrs. Claus will then go to the Norway Fire Station where children can meet them and have a snack.

ldixon@sunjournal.com

Submitted photo

Santa and Mrs. Claus, pictured here in their sleigh of lights during last year's annual holiday parade by the Oxford Hills Chamber of Commerce, will be in Norway and Paris again Saturday for the parade.

- Submitted photo