FERRIDAY, La. &045; It was a good ol’Hometown Christmas at the Ferriday Christmas parade Saturday morning. Many residents braved the cold, lining the sides of E.E. Wallace Boulevard whether out in the cold or trying to keep cozy in their cars with blankets hoods or even hot chocolate as a source of warmth.

&uot;Believe it or not, I believe the cold weather has a tendency to put people in the Christmas spirit,&uot; said parade co-chair Dorothy Parker, who said she was most pleased with the participation of the parade.

There were many familiar faces and some that people had not seen in a while, including the grand marshals for the parade &045; members of the 1086.

&uot;We had one (soldier) come as far as New Orleans&uot; to be in the parade, Parker said.

Many people were chattering before the parade began about wanting to see the soldiers and others followed the parade around town, trying to cut it off to see the men and women.

Overall, there were about 44 participants, ranging from floats to fire trucks to people on four-wheelers or four-legged animals &045; horses.

Parker said she was pleased with the outcome.

&uot;It exceeded my expectations,&uot; Parker said. &uot;It’s an annual tradition but a lot of people were grateful to have the troops home.&uot;

And while many passed those judges’ watchful eyes as they sat above the rest at the corner of U.S. 84 and E.E. Wallace Boulevard, only six went away with a prize for their lasting impressions.

In the small category, the Heritage Manor float with a house and outside lights with a sign reading, &uot;Our home is your home&uot; took the top prize &045; $50. Followed by two vans full of residents, the judges were impressed by the happiness on the people’s faces.

&uot;It seemed to make the people so happy and it made me happy to see them,&uot; said judge Marjorie Vogt.

Second place in the small category was Concordia Bank and Trust, which had many people overflowing their fun-filled float, earning them $25.

Third place and $15 was Delta Bank’s float, complete with a house, sleigh and reindeer, with their sign &uot;We’ll be at home with bells on.&uot;

In the large float category, first place was given to the Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office with their salute to the 1086, making them a winner of $100.

What brought it home for this float was not the sheriff &045; at least not the judges &045; but the children riding behind him in a D.A.R.E. train made out of barrels cut for the kids to sit in them. That won the float points for originality.

&uot;We liked that little train with all the little children,&uot; judge Rose Hymon said. &uot;They’ll remember that all their lives.&uot;

Second place and $50 was Barlow Wrecker with the leisurely riders rocking away in their rocking chairs.

Third place and $25 was the town of Ferriday, who pulled up the rear of the float with Santa Claus in tow.

To 5-year-old Dylan Davis of Ferriday, that was the best float however, because it had Santa on it.

Concordia, Delta and Tensas banks contributed the money for the prizes.

With the Ferriday High School band setting the tone with their beat and many other community members in tow, the parade brought out the masses and sent them home content, full of candy and fun times.

&uot;I had fun because I saw lots of pretty floats and got lots of goodies,&uot; said 10-year-old Bria Harris of Ferriday.