Annual holiday parade spreads Christmas spirit

The band is getting in the Holiday spirit by preparing for the annual holiday parade which will be held Dec. 14,9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

“The parade features a lot of reputable student organizations,” junior euphonium player Maria Raldiris said.  “Everybody works so hard throughout the year, that they deserve a break. People really enjoy themselves when they go to the Christmas parade.”

The band is playing a piece called “Christmas Carols on Parade,” which the band has practiced for a long time. Raldiris said she loves being in the parade.

“It’s a great way to hang out with your friends and entertain the crowd,” Raldiris said. “That’s what band is for.”

Vines and Clark’s high school bands also perform.

“It’s a great way for everyone to get into the holiday spirit and spend time with each other as a community,” junior bassoon player Olivia Beitelspacher said. “It’s also a chance to see all the work that the school organizations have put into the parade.”

Junior Diana Castaneda, a former band member who played clarinet, thinks the parade is a great chance to get the community together.

“It’s fun to watch the band play,” Castaneda said. “The parents like it. The Christmas music and the Santa hats the band kids wear help get people in the spirit.”

The parade wraps up marching season for Plano.

“I’m sad because marching season was really where the band could shine and everyone was together,” Beitelspacher said.

For seniors like Color Guard member Amelia Mock, the end of marching season is a bittersweet time.

“I’m going to cry,” Mock said. “It’s going to be the last time that the band gets to march together and the last time I get to be with my Color Guard girls.”

The parade starts on 15th Street and Independence near Vines and ends at Plano Senior.