Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Hundreds of people lined Main Street in Hogansville Saturday as the city held its annual Christmas parade.

“Christmas in Toyland” was the theme for the march, which started at Hogansville Elementary School before travelling down Main Street.

Festivities began earlier in the day, as a Christmas bazaar was held at Calvin Hipp Park. Vendors sold crafts, quilts, Christmas decorations, art and other items.

The parade began with the Hogansville Police Department, followed by ROTC members. Hogansville Mayor Bill Stankiewicz rode in a recently restored Ford F600 Pirsch Pumper Hogansville fire truck. Also in the truck was LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce Chairman George Bailey, who served as grand marshal of the parade, and Hogansville Public Works Superintendent Andy Jones, who personally restored the truck.

Students and teachers from Hogansville Elementary School marched in the parade, followed by the Callaway High School marching band, cheerleaders and Cavalier mascot. Troup County School System’s jungle-themed Bookmobile was also driven along the route.

Iron P Homestead Exotic Petting Zoo & Events hauled a nativity-themed trailer complete llamas, two people dressed as Mary and Joseph and a wise man guiding a camel down the street.

The finale was reserved for Santa Claus, who rode on top of a Troup County Fire Department truck. After the parade, Santa could be found in the gazebo at Calvin Hipp Park, posing for pictures.

In an interview, Stankiewicz said the parade “had a great turnout, considering the pandemic.”

The various floats and marching groups took about 20 minutes to travel by a parade-goer.

“It was a little shorter than normal, and again, that was because of the pandemic,” Stankiewicz said, adding that a typical parade would be about “50 percent or more longer.”

Despite not attracting as many floats as usual, Stankiewicz said people enjoyed the event, which brought them some holiday cheer amid the pandemic.

He also spoke with vendors who attested to a busy afternoon selling their wares.

“As an event, everybody had a great time and it went off without a hitch. It was nice,” Stankiewicz said.