Medora greets Christmas

MEDORA — Hunter Horton, 4, was going to ask Santa Claus for a toy truck and trailer this year. Isaac Horton, 8, was going to ask him for candy. Dustyn Kocsis, 6, was going to ask for a Tech Deck with a ramp.

Santa Claus was greeted with cheers, waves, claps and yells as he arrived on the firetruck for the Medora Christmas Festival Parade Saturday evening.

Sitting along the curb on Perry Street, Hunter, Isaac and Kocsis along with many other kids scrambled for candy as the Medora Christmas Festival Parade passed by their seats and waited for Santa to arrive. Afterward, they agreed he was the best part of the parade.

Standing on the sidewalks, sitting in chairs or on the curb, the 37th annual Medora Christmas Festival Parade attracted a large crowd to the heart of town.

Bill Drees of the Medora Festivals Committee said this year’s parade had about 40 to 45 units and the crowd for the festival was about twice the usual size.

More people were expected to attend Sunday, the second day of the two-day festival, Drees said. The 5K race and Travis Albertson as “Sincerely Elvis” were both scheduled for Sunday.

This year, the date of the festival was moved up two weeks because of cold weather and conflicts with other festivals in the past.

Drees said the Medora Christmas Festival, like the Covered Bridge Festival, is a community effort. He said it is important to keep the history of the town and Jackson County alive.

“We want to keep everything in Medora,” he said. “We want to keep the town viable.”

Dick and Betty Clampitt of Medora were the grand marshals of the parade.

“They help with the community a lot,” Drees said of the Clampitts. “If you look up Hoosier hospitality, their picture would be right there.”

Brendan Patman, 9, of Vallonia said his favorite part of the parade was the “National Anthem,” which he sang to the crowded streets.

This was Patman’s first time performing at the festival, where he performed five songs before the annual parade.

Sitting outside the Crothersville Public Library, Santa listened as children told him what they wanted for Christmas this year.

Standing in line patiently, James Muncy, 8, and Isabel, 5, waited for their turns to talk to Santa.

“A talking dinosaur” is what James said he was going to ask Santa for this year.

“A microphone,” Isabel added.

Both James and Isabel said they were excited to see Santa.