A Great Family Tradition Returns Saturday December 7 For Its 47th Year
The Annual Hometown Holiday Parade, a beloved tradition for DeSoto families since the early 1970s, is returning for its 47th year of holiday pageantry on Saturday, December 7th. The parade will kick off at 10:00 AM at the intersection of Wintergreen Road and Hampton Road and will continue south along Hampton Road until it ends at DeSoto Town Center and Pleasant Run Road. Festivities are expected to conclude by 11:30 AM.
“I remember attending the Hometown Holiday Parade with our two sons and it’s like that for so many DeSoto residents who have gone back to enjoy the parade year after year with their own children and now with their grandchildren,” observed DeSoto Mayor Curtistene S. McCowan. “This great DeSoto experience has become a wonderful tradition for all of our families and it shows that no matter how large our City has grown that we haven’t lost touch with the events and values that helped to positively shape our lives.”
2019 Hometown Holiday Parade Route
Street closures will begin and parking lots in the route area will be blocked off as early as 9:30 AM. Anyone driving in the vicinity of the parade around event time will likely experience detours and delays.
“This is a wonderful holiday experience that you will want to enjoy at your leisure, so arrive early enough to beat the crowds and closures, advised DeSoto’s Interim City Manager M. Renee Johnson, who as the longtime head of DeSoto Parks handled operations for all of the Hometown Holiday Parades in recent memory. “Getting there early will minimize stress and give you the time you’ll need to select a good spot along the route where you can comfortably watch the parade.”
DeSoto Cares, Stuff The Truck
New this year following the Hometown Holiday Parade will be a great opportunity for DeSoto residents to show our residents who are the victims of domestic violence that DeSoto Cares! The “Brighter Tomorrows” Domestic Violence Shelter is partnering with DeSoto Police And Clergy (DPAC) for their “Stuff the Truck Event” right after the parade. The shelter requests donations of gently used items such as paper, household goods, cleaning supplies, clothing, and furniture and asks that they are brought to the DeSoto Police Station’s front parking lot at 714 E Belt Line Road between Noon and 2:00 pm. All donations are considered tax-deductible and further details related to this charitable effort are available in the flyer below.
The DeSoto Public Library, 211 E Pleasant Run Road, is also planning post-parade festivities in partnership with the Salvation Army at Holiday Palooza 2019 from 11:30 AM – 4:00 PM. Santa will stop off at the library for snacks and will pose for free photos with the entire family! Activities will include holiday musical performances, crafts, DIY Gifts, a Special Polar Express storytime, and much more Christmas fun.
DeSoto Parks & Recreation would like to thank our sponsors for making the 47th Annual Hometown Holiday Parade possible. We appreciate all of the help that the Bank of DeSoto, Atkinson Toyota, Republic Services, Superior Health, Plains Capital Bank, INN-N-OUT BURGER, Wingstop, TCB Italian Ice, KIPP Texas Public Schools, Harvest Fellowship, K104, and the DeSoto Economic Development Corporation (EDC) have provided.
For more information about the parade visit DeSoto Parks and Recreation’s special events page or call 972-230-7310.
