MAXWELL, CA (MPG) — Maxwell’s annual Country Christmas attracted visitors to town for the annual event Friday, Dec. 19, despite windy and cold conditions and a possible rain threat.
Food vendors set up along San Francisco Street. Craft vendors were moved to the Maxwell Parks and Recreation Community Building because rain threatened the area.
The parade of lights was still the highlight, and parade-goers would stand along Oak St. to watch the brightly decorated floats, vehicles, and performers walk down Oak St.
Richter Aviation won first place with its decorated float, while Jurassic Park float won second. C. J. LaGrande, who decorated local floats, won third place with his float, titled “Reason for the Season”. They awarded Zach Dennis and his two daughters for their best performance after people applauded their dance.
Susan Meeker, a member within the Maxwell Parks and Recreation Auxiliary, said that the event organizers attended happily because of the uncertain weather.
We had a great turnout,” Meeker said thanking the people who came out, participated, and to all those who supported the event..
According to Meeker, one of the auxiliary’s continual challenges is finding enough volunteers for setting up, coordinating, and cleaning up after the activities.
“We need Maxwell residents to get involved with future community events,” she said.
Representatives of the Colusa County Chamber of Commerce judged parade entries; Colleen Wrysinski, Jack Cunningham, and Sue Gibbs were among them.
Wrysinski stated judges were impressed with the float quality and the performance quality.
Wrysinski found “Everyone did a great job”, particularly the Dennis girls, and she especially enjoyed their song-and-dance number.
One of the more talked about floats was from Lenahan Trucking. The Grinch on a working hot air balloon system with actual flames in the balloon made the float an immediate favorite with the crowd as it passed down the route of the parade.
However, crowds of people wandered from vendor booths to parade watching, to the community building to visit the booths, to the permanent downtown shops. There was laughter, there was music, there was conversation, as neighbors saw each other and tourists enjoyed the small town holiday experience.