By MELINDA J. OVERSTREET
for Glasgow News 1
Members of a tiny community tucked in southern Barren County – northwest of Fountain Run, southwest of Tracy and not far from Allen County – decided a few years ago to create an event to bring everyone there together.
From that discussion was born the Capitol Hill Christmas Parade. That’s right. Glasgow, Park City and Cave City aren’t the only places here to have such a thing. Although this one hasn’t been around as long, interest in it is said to be increasing.
Ronnie Wuetcher and Ann Fife are two of the primary “coordinators” of what is really about gathering neighbors to visit and enjoy the holiday spirit, and each of them said the other was the go-to for information about it.
“From the beginning, it was a come one, come all event,” Wuetcher told Glasgow News 1. “Some enjoy getting in the parade, and many also enjoy sitting along the route and watching the spectacle. We have horseback riders, decorated logging trucks, floats made from hay and tobacco wagons, bass boats with Christmas lights, lawn mowers, custom show cars, mule teams pulling wagons, pedal bikes and others I can’t even recall. The Grinch, Santa and Mrs. Claus have been known to show up.”
At times, so have caged chickens and folks simply walking their dogs.
Santa makes an appearance driving a truck during a previous Capitol Hill Christmas Parade. This year’s begins at 10 a.m. Saturday. Photo courtesy of the Fife family.
“It’s just a good community get-together,” Wuetcher said.
The first one was in 2017, and it seems to get bigger every year, he said, with about 25 entries last year.
This year’s “spectacle” is set to begin at 10 a.m. Saturday. The parade starts and ends at Capitol Hill Missionary Baptist Church, which is essentially where Capitol Hill Church Road ends and Capitol Hill Road begins. It proceeds from the church along Capitol Hill Church Road, then makes a loop via North Combs Lane, a wee bit of Capitol Hill Road, and Simmons Road before turning left back onto Capitol Hill Church Road.
The parking lot of North Combs Lane Church has become a popular spot for viewing the procession.
Fife, the official unofficial videographer of the parade, said they don’t have any rules about who or what can or can’t participate or who goes in what order. Everyone who wants to just shows up and gets themselves in line. Some of the participants toss candy to onlookers.
“[The] most important rule is everyone have fun, it’s a stress-free event,” she said.
Afterward, Santa usually makes some time to let little ones – and sometimes not-so-little ones – sit on his lap at the front of the church and discuss their Christmas wishes and/or pose for pictures while others visit with one another.
“It was just a fly-by-night thought,” said Sarah Layne, Wuetcher’s wife. “I thought, ‘A parade???’ … It just turned into something bigger than we ever imagined.”
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