COTR Night Parade features new floats

December 1, 2021December 1, 2021 Jan McDonald COTR, Demopolis, floats, Night, Parade

Editor’s Note: This article concludes a series by The West Alabama Watchman on the annual Demopolis holiday event known as Christmas on the River.

Christmas on the River started as a meeting of the minds, thanks to Demopolis natives, Barry Collins and Mem Webb. In the early 1970s, each man had seen river parades in other states and together decided such an event would be great for Demopolis.

The two convinced the Demopolis Chamber of Commerce director, Hal Bloom, to take on the project. It has remained a Chamber event ever since the first COTR in 1972.

Christmas on the River night parade. (WAW | Michael Clements)

For the first Christmas on the River, and many years thereafter, the nautical parade’s lighted boats were built by area schools, clubs, organizations and individuals. These private entries competed for cash prizes in several categories.

By COTR’s third or fourth year, Jim Bird entered a float in the river parade depicting a large elf carrying a red banner that read Christmas on the River. The next year, Bird added another elf. His entry grew to include five animated elves followed by a small dog barking at the last elf’s heels. His creation became the Night Parade’s signature lead float.

Until 2020, when COVID-19 changed everything, the Night Parade committee had up to 20 lighted floats plying the Tombigbee River by the Demopolis Civic Center. Last year the floats were moored along the Sumter County shoreline, and motorists drove by to see the lighted, animated scenes.

This year, said Susanna Naisbett, Night Parade chair and co-chair of COTR, there will be seven floats moored across from the Civic Center on Dec. 4. Three of them will be new, including one celebrating COTR’s 50^th anniversary.