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Wreathed in holiday spirit

Annual parade raises spirits

By William Kibler 4 min read

Lisa Trude has been sad lately because her 18-year-old nephew, who grew up in her parents' house, has been away at Air Force boot camp in Texas.

But Trude found joy Thursday at the Spirit of Christmas parade in downtown Al­toona, watching the pageant with her 9-month-old black-and-gray goldendoodle, Harlee.

"It's her first Christmas," said Trude, 27, of Harlee. "She loves people."

There were plenty of people to love.

"Thousands," said John Orr, 79, who marveled nearby at the sidewalks of people two and three deep. "I'm just overwhelmed."

The scene reminded Orr of the holidays when he was a child in the 1950s, before downtown retailers began moving to Pleasant Valley.

Shoppers were everywhere then, every day, he said.

On Thursday, it sounded like a noisy pool in summer as one approached the parade route, except that, instead of oldies on the loudspeaker, there were carols playing from vehicles bearing brigades of boys and girls from churches, followed by the flash of batons being tossed by troops of marching twirlers.

At one corner was a triple-generation family of twirlers: Mary Ann Hughey, her daughter, Allison Hughey, and Allison's daughter, Avery, 2.

Mary Ann and Allison both twirled for Altoona Area High School in their times, but Avery was the one who marched Thursday for The ShowTwirlers group.

Normally, the youngest members are 3, but Avery was good enough for early admittance, her mother said.

On 15th Street, Jaci Addie demonstrated that parades are good for bringing out the kids you have -- and for bringing out the kid you were.

Addie was there to watch son, Hunter, 14, play saxophone and march in the Altoona Area Junior High School Band, and while she waited, she remembered playing the flute and marching in Christmas parades herself near Little Rock, Ark., where she grew up.

"It takes me back to a lot of fun times," Addie said.

Not far away, Stephanie Jones demonstrated that, when it comes to parades, the parents' and kids' feelings don't always align.

She was standing next to her four children -- ages 2, 5, 6 and 10 -- who were at the curb in stocking cap hats.

"They wanted to come, so we're here freezing," Jones said. "I didn't want to."

The kids remembered the candy from last year's parade, and they'd heard this year's parade talked up in school, she said.

Despite the cold and her initial preference not to come, she was glad she brought them.

"They're having fun," she said.

A few blocks away, near the post office, grandmothers Liz Bettwy and Annette Reed were waiting for their grandsons to appear with the Altoona junior high band, "so we can go home," Bettwy said.

The 100-plus unit parade had been in progress for more than an hour, but the band hadn't appeared yet.

The pair had sent companions to scout for its location and had recently heard back that it was the very last unit.

There wouldn't be respite for a while.

Reed was enduring the cold by dancing in place, like a third-grader who had to go to the bathroom.

"I'm making my toes circulate," she said. "I feel like I've walked a mile."

Back on the 1400 block of the avenue, the staff of The Bakery, which is slated to open soon, was giving out hot chocolate with marshmallows and chocolate chip cookies.

"It feels good to be part of the community," said manager Lauren Drost.

The parade included trash trucks from Burgmeier Hauling, its signature sponsor.

"Only in Altoona," Orr said.

Perhaps to ensure he wasn't misinterpreted, he expressed his admiration for those who work on those trucks in all kinds of weather.

The forecast was for sleet later in the evening, so some of those workers might be out in it within hours.

But the weather during the parade, chilly as it was, was "perfect," Orr said.

Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 949-7038.

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