Prescott - Arizona's Christmas City

Nothing says "Christmas" like Prescott in December. My family visiting time coincided with the Christmas Parade and the Festival of Lights at the County Courthouse Square. This city goes all-out with Christmas decorations.

I love small town parades! Prescott's parade was two hours long, and from the numbers of people in the parade and along the parade route, it seemed that everyone from miles around was there.

Thanks to my friends Jackie and Ken Kimsey, my sister Susan and I had front row seats to enjoy the parade. The parade led off with the color guard, and ended with the street sweepers. In between I think that every preschool, elementary school, middle school and high school had a marching (actually walking) group. Several dog groups paraded their four-legged friends (including the Hospice Hounds Pet Therapy group) and car clubs entered their decorated vehicles. There were three dancing groups (see photos), several bands (one with a violinist - see photo), and floats.

Susan and I explored shops and enjoyed the musical groups playing on the courthouse steps while waiting for the 6 p.m. lighting of the Christmas decorations. Soon after that I walked back to the Albertson parking lot where I had left Jeremiah and Cat.

During my stay in Prescott, I also visited with my sister Elaine and her husband Don, and with my nephew K.C., his wife Shari and their year-old daughter Kaylissa.

Except for one cloudy day, the weather was bright and sun-shiny; the nights quite cold.