Winning entries honored in 46th annual West Alabama Christmas Parade

Ken Roberts, The Tuscaloosa News
·2 min read

Despite light rain, the 46th annual West Alabama Christmas Parade brought the holiday spirit to Greensboro Avenue in downtown Tuscaloosa on Monday night.

The parade, organized by the Tuscaloosa County Park and Recreation Authority, is billed as the largest parade of its kind in Alabama.

For those who may have missed the festivities, WVUA 23 will have a re-broadcast the parade at noon Saturday.

This year, the parade featured 132 entries, including 35 entries that were part of the judged competition.

Dec 5, 2022; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; The West Alabama Christmas Parade moves through downtown Tuscaloosa Monday night.
Dec 5, 2022; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; The West Alabama Christmas Parade moves through downtown Tuscaloosa Monday night.

Here's a look at the parade winners:

  • Floats: First place, Chasing the Crown; second place, the Legacy Connection

  • Decorated vehicles: First place, Southern Heating and Cooling; second place, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

  • Walking Groups: First place, the Dancing Royalettes; second place, the Holt Elementary Ironettes

  • Marching bands: First place, Paul W. Bryant High School; second place, American Christian Academy

  • Best Overall Award: Saint Paul Baptist Church

Winners can pick up their trophies at the PARA Building, 614 Greensboro Ave.

The theme of the 2022 parade was "A Retro Christmas."

Before the parade, Rob Robertson, Tuscaloosa County's probate judge, presided over the tree-lighting ceremony, which included performances by the University of Alabama Tuba Octet, led by Jeremy Crawford, and the Westwood Elementary School Singers, led by Aldis Donald.

Dec 5, 2022; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; The West Alabama Christmas Parade moves through downtown Tuscaloosa Monday night.
Dec 5, 2022; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; The West Alabama Christmas Parade moves through downtown Tuscaloosa Monday night.

The parade's grand marshals — Lyda Black, Clell Hobson Sr., Gary Minor and Samory Pruitt — flipped the switch and officially light up Tuscaloosa's 26-foot tree, which will remain on display in front of the Tuscaloosa County Courthouse through the holidays.

Black is a retired associate dean at Shelton State Community College, while the 91-year-old Hobson quarterbacked the University of Alabama football team in the 1953 Orange Bowl. Minor is the soon-to-retire executive director of the Tuscaloosa County Park and Recreation Authority and Pruitt is UA's vice president of community affairs.

According to PARA, legendary University of Alabama head football coach Paul W. “Bear” Bryant served as the grand marshal of the first West Alabama Christmas Parade in 1976.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Winning entries honored in 46th annual West Alabama Christmas Parade