The Village of Madrid kicked off its annual Christmas parade and celebration on Dec. 6, featuring carolers, outdoor shopping, livestock and other festivities throughout the day, ending in an 11-minute parade that kicked off at 4 p.m.
Madrid became known as the “Christmas City” in the early 1900s when it was a large mining town. The mining company at the time required Christmas lights in every house, according to paradegoer and history buff Sean Brooks.
“There’s a lot of history here,” Brooks said.
The mining company closed in 1956 and the tradition died off. It was revived in the mid-70s and has expanded into the annual parade seen today, according to Visit Madrid.
Brooks and his wife, Hollie, spent the evening watching the parade and exploring the history of the town, as it was their first time coming to the annual Madrid parade.
“This has been kind of a Christmas spot for us,” Sean Brooks said. “For years, we’d come here for Christmas gifts and shopping. We never came to the parade.”
Featured in the parade were fire trucks, Santas, music, jugglers, classic cars and livestock — but standing out were fan favorites Clyde the Buffalo and Solo the Yak.
“That was a first for me,” Hollie Brooks said about seeing the two animals.
Susan Fischer is the owner of a gallery called Belle of the West on the main stretch of the road, and she said she’s watched the parade grow for the eight years she’s been there.
Most vendors in Madrid count on the Christmas season to make a profit. The village is mostly an outdoor shopping experience, Fischer said, so things slow down when January comes around after each holiday season.
Madrid is a great place for people to shop for Christmas gifts, Fischer said. Handmade gifts offer more creativity and care than something ordered online.
“We hope that people will come in and buy something special for the people that are special in their lives,” Fischer said.