Boykin Christmas Parade - 2014 Edition

Well gang, we made it again!!!  The 21st Annual Boykin, S. C. Christmas Parade was our target last Sunday and, again, we were not disappointed.  Our trip to Boykin this time was a little more 'exciting' since this was the last Sunday before Christmas and we had an unscheduled choir rehearsal after church in preparation for our Christmas Eve service.  The parade was scheduled to kick off at 2:00 p.m. and we knew that they would begin shutting the roads down well before that time.  Fortunately, we managed to negotiate the long, rural roads between Columbia and Boykin safely and, even though we did encounter a police barricade about a mile and a half from the starting point of the parade, Linda managed to 'sweet talk' a very nice young highway patrolman and explain our dilemma and the fact that we had to 'stay in after church'!!  (We also had the "age card" in reserve in case we needed it.)  He very, very kindly allowed us to proceed to

Mayor and Mrs.Jackson

the parking area and we made it to our rendezvous point right on time.  SCTravelerX3 Sherwood was holding down a VIP spot for us and the

Wilmington folks along with their fantastic friends from greater metropolitan Lugoff, S.C. (not far from our own Ridgeway) had a fabulous spread laid out.  We quickly picked up a snack or two and a cup of some very potent egg-nog and headed over to the viewing stand where we were just in time for the arrival of the Mayor of Boykin, the Honorable Bruce Jackson and his wife.  They were welcomed by perennial Master of Ceremonies, Roland Alston and it was soon time for the "presentation of the colors".  With many dignitaries present - including politicians from Kershaw County (home of Boykin), Major General and Mrs. Julian Burns and Colonel Clint Kirk, Commanding Officer of the Blackhawk Brigade from Fort Jackson, and a whole host of others too numerous to mention, the grand old flag waved gently in the cool December breeze as we all lustily sang

Grand Marshall Squeeky Wangensteen

our National Anthem and the parade was underway!!  The guy sitting next to us in the Santa hat gave us the 'thumbs up' as the Lee County Light Horse Brigade led the way.  Quickly, the Grand Marshall made her appearance (Note: it's the DOG!!) and introduced a whole host of floats of every description!!  There was music, dancing and, of course lots of Shriners from a couple of different lodges.  It never fails to fascinate me how willing those guys are to lend their presence and their talents to community causes and how bold they are in the things they are willing to do!!! Amazing.  But, I've got to also add that their charitable contributions to our state and our country are incredible and their hospitals have brought relief and care to people - especially children - who would never have received it otherwise.  But - I've gotta tell ya ... I'm not sure I could squeeze myself into one of those little vehicles to ride around at break-neck speed or to don one of those colorful costumes in the chilly winter weather.  My hat is off to them!!  And they are so warm and humorous in their activities.  They kept the kids along the route in giggles the whole time they were around and handed out candy every step of the way.  You need to keep in mind, however, that as light-hearted and fun-loving as these guys are, their ability to perform this way requires countless hours of practice and dedication to their organization that is often overlooked.  But, just like the Shriners, people from other organizations of countless kinds came together to celebrate the season and to express their wishes for peace, togetherness and friendship.  There were complex floats, simple floats, those that required extensive skill in preparation and those that carried the beauty of simplicity.  And we loved every one of them!!!!  The smiles we shared, the "Merry Christmas" greetings, the shouts of "Happy Holidays" gave us a feeling of buoyancy and warmth that it is hard to describe.  (And, no, I don't think it was the egg-nog!!)  Some of the floats and groups were old friends from last year's parade and there were many, many others that were new this year.  Virtually every age group imaginable was represented on the floats but they were all as excitedly active as if all were kids in middle school!  Boykin is a very rural little town and, as we have reported on in the past, it is the home of the famed "Boykin Spaniel", a hunting dog of extraordinary capability as a retriever.  The folks from around here take their hunting, fishing and other outdoor activities very seriously so a large number of the entries related to hunting, dog breeding, fishing, firearm training and other features of outdoor life.  Seeing the different hunting dogs proudly observing the crowds from the sides of their human partners was very interesting and the rustic nature of some of the floats illustrated the construction skills of these rugged hunters.  As in virtually any event held in rural South Carolina, respect for those who keep us safe from harm - law enforcement personnel, firefighters and other first responders, military personnel and those who protect our children - is over the top and every float, vehicle or other entry representing those individuals and organizations was greeted with deafening roars.  It was really heart-warming and, after the difficult months we have experienced recently, it was good for them to hear and feel our deep appreciation.  But, of course, this is Boykin ... and ... the crowd was growing restless!!  Now in most parades the anxiety comes in the wait for the Jolly Old Elf and it was no different here.  But - the real excitement came when word rippled down the route that the real attraction was on the way - The 2014 Fatback Queen.  There is just no way to adequately describe this celebrity and I hope you got to see the post we did last year when the "Queens" from the prior twenty years came together for a reunion.   Now I don't know what the criteria for picking the Fatback Queen but somewhere in there there have to be a few attributes like "smokes cigars" or "has lots of facial hair" or "willing to go out in public in a costume that would cause most of us to 'melt down' immediately".  Whatever they use, they really get some hum-dingers!!!!!    But - as you might remember if you were here with us last year - the common characteristics really are men who are comfortable in their own skin, who care about others, who understand and appreciate the rugged rural culture that makes up this part of our state and ... lemme see ....  maybe a bit of 'craziness' doesn't hurt too much.  This year's Queen certainly did not disappoint in any of the above categories and his/her entourage provided him/her with a court of honor that was as regal as he/she was ...strange!!  It truly was a major highlight!!  But there was more to come.  This is South Carolina, of course, and there is no way that you can have a parade without proper recognition of one of our most cherished cultural aspects - Shagging!.  A float dedicated to our State Dance certainly represented all of us well - even considering the unstable footing of a float.  One of the many beautiful reminders of the season was the live manger scene played out for us all.  Coming when it did in the parade it kept us centered and aware of the majesty of the coming Christmas day.  But - at Boykin you are not going to be able to stay serious long.  The "Weinermobile", numerous animal friends and a lot of fascinating floats filled the route.  But we were somewhat bothered by what seemed to be some inordinate delays and 'open spaces' in the parade.  Of course, you can't get angry or upset at the Boykin Christmas Parade - we were just curious.  We knew Santa was on the way and the organizers certainly would not allow him to be delayed without reason.  So - we knew something was going on, just not what it was.  And, sure enough, it wasn't too long before we saw the trademark sled that we knew would be transporting the real guest of honor at this parade - Santa!!  As he approached and all of the kids (and us) got excited we noticed something a little unusual.  No, it wasn't the fact that only Rudolph served to represent Comet, Cupid, Donder, Blitzen, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer and Vixen ... it was the fact that there appeared to be another float behind Santa.  Clearly a violation of parade etiquette!!  Now get this - the float that was supposed to immediately precede the Jolly Old Elf was an actual airplane!!!  The plane had circled the parade site and Skydivers had leaped from the aircraft to announce the start of the event.  The pilot then landed and his plane was maneuvered into position to lead Santa in the parade.  Unfortunately, the narrowness of the country lanes used for the route didn't always allow for smooth passage and it took help from the crowd to wiggle the plane around enough to get it past the various obstacles.  The decision was finally made to let Santa go ahead and, as the plane neared the end of the route it was discreetly moved (with the aid of numerous helpful viewers) onto a side road so it wouldn't diminish Santa's appearance.  Talk about class!!!  We're really glad you were here to enjoy the parade with us.  I know I didn't get all of the floats, bands, marchers and dignitaries in but there is just sooooooo much to see.  Last year attendance was close to 17,000 people and they said they thought the crowd exceeded that this year.  But - numbers are not the significant thing.  Whatever the count was, we were all there with our newest best friends and it was wonderful.  Hopefully we can take you back to this quirky and enjoyable event next year.  But - we've got a lot more traveling to do before then so - get ready.  We'll be on the road soon.  See ya.