By Greg Ellison, Staff Writer

(Nov. 23, 2017) The 45th annual Pocomoke Christmas parade will transform Market Street into a holiday winter wonderland on Monday starting at 7 p.m.

The lengthy line of floats, high school marching bands, fire equipment, dance troupes, ROTC and equestrian units will stretch nearly two miles, event chairman Mike Shannon said.

“It will go from 14th Street down to the [Pocomoke] River bridge,” he said. “The reviewing stand is at the corner of Clarke and Market streets.”

The parade, which includes an average of 100 units, has delighted crowds of up to 4,000 people in previous decades, Shannon said.

“There’s not really a bad spot anywhere along the parade route, which goes for like 17 blocks,” he said. “The nice thing is you don’t have 3,000-4,000 people in one spot.”

Each unit will pause to perform at the reviewing stand before crossing the Pocomoke River bridge and dispersing.

“The best viewing spot to see them perform is down at [Cypress] Park,” he said.

National Judges Association members will award trophies and plaques for high school bands, commercial and non-commercial floats, dance units, ROTC units, fire companies and equestrian units.

Shannon said the parade culminates with the arrival of Old St. Nick.

“We plan on having Santa Claus downtown no later than 9:30 p.m.,” he said.

To increase the parade’s appeal, Shannon said parade entries are presented in random order, interspersing floats, fire trucks, and marching bands for a varied viewing experience.

“It keeps it more interesting for the fans and the people that come watch this because we are one of the largest nighttime parades in the state of Maryland,” he said.

Following the parade, Santa Claus will remain in town to inspect the city’s new 20-foot yuletide tree and participate in Mayor Bruce Morrison’s Old-Fashioned Christmas Evening event on Dec. 1 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. in downtown.

“The mayor has got the idea of doing something all week long in town,” Shannon said. “The parade pretty much steps off Christmas Week and the mayor’s thing does the end of the Christmas Week.”

Santa’s visits to southern Worcester were originally airborne affairs handled by the Pocomoke Jaycees, Shannon said.

“[The Pocomoke Jaycees] flew Santa Claus in for years in a helicopter and all of a sudden they decided, ‘let’s have a parade,’” he said.

Nearly half a century later, Shannon said many of the same hands are still on deck.

“Most of the same committee members that were here in 1972 are still here today,” he said.

After serving as event chairman since 2000, Shannon is hoping to groom the next generation to take over the reins.

“I’m trying to bring in some younger guys that can carry on the tradition years from now when I decide I’m going to retire,” he said.

Parade registration at no cost is available online at pocomokechristmasparade.com. The deadline is Friday at midnight.

“After then you’d have to make a phone call [410-726-5777] because I’m already starting to put it together,” he said. “It does take all of my Thanksgiving holiday to do this.”

More details are available on the website, including a full list of rules, Shannon said.

“This is a family-oriented event and we don’t want any trouble,” he said.

In the event of inclement weather, the parade will be postponed until Tuesday, Nov. 28, at 7 p.m.