OAKLEAF — It was a night of lights, festivity and fun as the Oakleaf community hosted its third annual Christmas parade on Saturday, Dec. 13.
The evening was full of high spirits and good energy as various decorated floats graced the fully lined streets from Trinity Oakleaf Church to Oakleaf High.
District 2 Commissioner Alexandra Compere, who represents the Oakleaf area, said this year’s parade was “bigger and better.”
The parade kicked off at 6:30 p.m. and was sponsored by Crumbl and UF Health. This year’s parade participants included Trinity, The SD Experience and Toys for Tots. During the event, Toys for Tots collected new and unwrapped toys along the parade route.
The Oakleaf parade was one of four that took place on Saturday, the others including Middleburg, Keystone and the Whitey’s Boat Parade in Swimming Pen Creek.
Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook said Oakleaf would be one of the most difficult challenges due to the narrow roadways and restricted parking. But, to handle congestion, the sheriff’s office monitored the county closely from the Emergency Operations Center.
Plans for next year’s parade are already in the works, and those interested in being a vendor, sponsor, volunteer or participant should begin emailing oakleafcommunityevents@gmail.com in January to get involved.