Many towns in the Roanoke-Chowan area are holding Christmas parades in the coming weeks.

Conway officially kicked-off that holiday schedule with their parade this past Saturday. That annual event, one earning the praise of those in attendance, will hopefully serve as a springboard for other local communities to taste the same success.

The parades are positive holiday touches, especially for the young ones, which help induce that sluggish holiday spirit.

As it is in rural areas, parades are usually organized and/or sponsored by volunteers. Ditto for those participating in these events. All put forth a lot of time and effort to attract interest from spectators.

As it was in Conway’s case this past Saturday where a large crowd lined the street to take in the sights and sounds of the holiday season, we urge local citizens to turn out in force for the remainder of the 2009 Christmas parade schedule in the Roanoke-Chowan area.

Three parades are scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 5 – Murfreesboro (10 a.m.), Rich Square (10 a.m.) and Cofield (2 p.m.).

The following Saturday (Dec. 12) is a busy one for Christmas parades – Ahoskie (10 a.m.), Jackson (1 p.m.), Gatesville (3 p.m.), Windsor (3 p.m.) and Winton (6 p.m.).

Take your pick among these offerings; may we suggest you choose more than one. Show those who are working behind the scenes to stage these events as well as those waving to the crowd how much their efforts mean to you.

And there’s no better feeling than to see a big smile on a child’s face when Santa comes to town.