Eatonville parades through the holidays

Eatonville residents observed their annual Christmas Parade on Dec. 7, drawing in hundreds of spectators, which lined a portion of Mashell Avenue for the main part of the festivities.

There were food trucks near Eatonville Visitor Center and dozens of the town's children ran and played in the field in front of the center with a lit Christmas tree in the background as they waited for the parade to begin.

Folks carried around hot drinks and ate cotton candy and cookies that were offered across the street at the United Methodist Church.

Kayla Carson said she lived in Eatonville for six years and came back for the parade while she was visiting family in the area.

"The parade brings the community together and shows everybody the Christmas spirit," she said. "I like all the kids running around playing."

Eatonville resident Jennifer McGreevy, who moved to town around July 4, agreed that it was fun to see the kids enjoying the night. 

"Seeing the Eatonville kids run and play and keeping the community together is vital for this town, because it just gives us a sense of spirit here," she said. "The energy is good, right? We live out here, a little bit farther away. We make the extra effort to drive and it's all worth it when you see this.”

For the parade, Nathan Mann decked out his special wheelchair/bicycle — which he rides because he is paralyzed from the waist down. He said he decorated the vehicle to support his son who marched in the parade with Cub Scout Troop 680.

Mann said that it's events like the Eatonville Christmas Parade that mean everything to a small town.

"Without community we have nothing," he said. "I feel as a country and as a whole we've lost sight of what community really means. Pulling together and doing what you can for your neighbor when they need it or… just making sure you can be of assistance. It's pulling forward and helping one another, making the community strong."