Christmas Comes Early
In its first year under the supervision of Cameron Main Street Inc., Christmas in Cameron drew hundreds to downtown for Saturday’s festival.
Cameron Main Street, as well as multiple area businesses and organizations combined their efforts for a parade, Holiday Faire and culminating lighting ceremony in McCorkle Park with Mayor Darlene Breckenridge reading ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’.
“It was one of the most fun, most rewarding experiences of my life,” Main Street board member BJ Reed said. “It gives me a better appreciation for other volunteer groups and organizations that have done it in the past. You get to see firsthand how much heart and dedication it takes to have this many organizations and volunteers to put this together something this large.”
The day began with the Holiday Faire at the Old School, organized by Main Street Board Member Denise Maddex. Maddex reported more than 60 venders participated in event, nearly filling the multi-floor facility. At 3 p.m., the Cameron police, fire and EMS escorted the Christmas Parade through downtown with more than 30 floats reported.
With decades of experience organizing and participating in Cameron Christmas festivities Main Street Inc., Reed said she jumped at the opportunity to organize the 2019 Christmas in Cameron. In doing so, she sought to return attractions from when she watched participated in Cameron Christmas events as a child. She immediately reached out to the Shriners for their zany go carts and dune buggies and also reached out to the Kansas City Marching Falcons Drill Team.
“The Lord dropped that into my lap. It was an act of God,” Reed said. “When I was a little girl, my parents would always bring us to the Christmas Parade and there was a drill team that would perform. That fell by the wayside, but as a child that was a tradition here. I got on Google and found the Marching Falcons … Farmer’s State Bank partnered with us and gave a very generous donation to help pay for the travel expenses to help get the Falcons here.
After winning a drawing earlier that evening, Cameron youth Cache Crowley ceremoniously light up the Cameron city Christmas lights. As the Cameron High School Choir sang carols while Cameron Boy Scout Pack 87 provided chocolate covered marshmallows, American Legion Post 33 and VFW Post 7158 served hot chocolate, Breckenridge reading the famed Clement Clarke Moore poem while at the center of a semicircle full of children. Breckenridge later donated candy canes to area children after getting their pictures taken with Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus.
“All of those items were free for the community. Thank you to the parks and rec. as well,” Reed said. “[American Legion Post 33 and VFW Post 7158] said ‘how many cups do we need?’ I said ‘I don’t know, but if it’s super cold the turnout will not be that great.’ Later I said ‘Let’s count the cups just for fun, that way we will know next year how to plan. We went through 300 cups … I know we served more than 300 between the S’mores and the drinks. That was just the people came for refreshments and not just the people in the park.”
Although Christmas in Cameron passed, Cameron Main Street, Inc. has more holiday festivities in store later this month. As part of an organization fundraiser, they will host Brunch with Santa Dec. 14.
“The reason I know this group will succeed is because of the partnerships they develop,” Reed said. “Downtown is not going to make it on its own. The unique part about Cameron Main Street is it reminds us as business owners, community members and friends and family of the community that downtown is not going to make it on its own. It makes it because of the partnerships it develops.”
