At last, the 2016 New Albany Christmas Parade!

Bill Smallwood, seated, was the Grand Marshall of the 2016 New Albany Christmas Parade. Shown with him are Santa, UNITE volunteer of the year Joyce Sumners, and Jean Ashcraft of Channel 99, who drove the vintage convertible carrying Mr. Smallwood

New Albany, MS- New Albany was finally able to have its 2016 Christmas parade Tuesday night, Dec. 13 — after the annual holiday event had been rained out twice. Longtime New Albany businessman and philanthropist Bill Smallwood was the Grand Marshall.

The temperature stood at a brisk 50 degrees, and the sky was overcast, but no rain fell during the parade through downtown New Albany. The parade was organized at the public library parking lot and started west on Main Street at 6 p.m., then back east on Bankhead Street.

There were fewer floats than would have paraded if the original date of Monday, Dec. 5, and the alternate date of Tuesday, Dec. 6, had not both been rained out. School bands did not march because this is exam week in the public schools.

However there was a color guard, and there were several floats, several convertibles with beauty queens, and several antique motor vehicles. There were a dozen or more horseback riders and entries from county businesses.

Joe Wilson, a long-time New Albany volunteer fireman, rode in the New Albany Fire Department’s big new rescue truck.

There were several fire trucks of various sizes and types from several Union County fire departments. It was the first parade ever for the New Albany Fire Departments big new rescue unit, Rescue One. Joe Wilson, a volunteer fireman for nearly 50 years, rode in the Rescue One truck, which was driven by New Albany Fire Chief Steve Coker.

NEW ALBANY 2016 CHRISTMAS PARADE (click to enlarge/download photos)

Lee Thompson and Sam Mosely on the parade review standard.

Joyce Sumners, the UNITE Volunteer of the Year, in a car driven by businessman Travis Wiseman.

County officials including County Board President Randy Owen (driving the truck) and, to his right, Circuit Clerk Phyllis Stanford and County Supervisor Dave Christmas. In the back seat, (left to right) were Supervisors Steve Watson, Evan Denton, and Chad Coffey.