The City of Gaffney will hold its annual City of Gaffney/ Veterans Christmas Parade at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec.13.

Just as they did last year, this year's entries will line up on Railroad Avenue; the parade will march down Limestone Street and will disperse at Thompson Park and Park Place.

Will deBorde, Project Coordinator for the City of Gaffney, requests that all persons planning to be in the parade arrive no later than 9:30 a.m. so that the event can begin promptly at 10 a.m. He also suggests that parade entries take Cherokee Avenue or Beech Street — which run parallel to Railroad Avenue — and any connecting side street to line up on Railroad Avenue.

The blocking of streets along Limestone Street will consist of North and South Limestone Street from Railroad Avenue to Corry Street, Wall Street to the intersection of North Limestone Street at Railroad Avenue, Railroad Avenue from Chestnut Street to intersection with North Limestone Street, North Limestone Street at intersection with Five Points.

All side streets intersecting with Railroad Avenue from Chestnut Street to intersection with North Limestone, Robinson, Frederick and Birnie Streets, East Meadow Street, E. Dr. L.M. Rosemond Lane, Floyd Baker Boulevard, Buford Street, Jefferies and Montgomery Streets from Wall Street to Courthouse Alley. College Drive, Rutledge Avenue, Union and Corry Streets, and all alleys in between, running East and West from Petty Street to Granard Street during time parade is to take place, or as needed.

Government officials and other dignitaries, beauty queens, bands, ROTC units, Military, Boy and Girls Scout Troops, Churches, dance teams, horses and riders, tractors, cultural organizations, and businesses, etc. are all invited to participate. In addition to bands within the Cherokee County School District, other local and regional bands are invited to participate.

Leading the parade this year will be the National Guard Company B First Battalion 118th Infantry, City of Gaffney Police, South Carolina Highway Patrol, Cherokee County Sheriff's Department, the Gaffney High School ROTC who will present the color guard, City of Gaffney Mayor Henry L. Jolly along with members of Gaffney City Council, and the Blacksburg High School Band, and the Clemson Tiger.

All other entries will assemble on a first arrive, first in line basis. All horses and horse-drawn carriages need to line up at the end of the parade.

Cline's Floats from Catawba, N.C. will be providing their services again this year. The floats will be interspersed with the other entries. Those groups appearing this year will be:

Float # 21 -Spartanburg Community College-Cherokee County Campus- Faculty & Staff with Families

Float # 20- McKown's Cabinet's, LLC- Girls Softball Team

Float # 40- First Piedmont Federal

Float # 2- Radcliff Family Chiropractic

Float # 11- American Community Bank/ Bronco Mexican Restaurant

Float # 39- Chamber of Commerce/ Peach Festival

City of Gaffney's float with a very special visitor- Santa Claus himself.

Marching bands participating this year include:

Blacksburg High School Gaffney High School Granard Middle School Ewing Middle School

Gaffney Middle School

Also participating in this year's parade includes:

Dennis Fowler, Coroner Dennis Ramsey, Councilman

City of Gaffney Fire Department

Limestone College Basketball Team

Gaffney High School Gospel Choir

Gaffney High School Step Team

King's Mountain National Military Park Re-enactors

Hillbilly Clan # 2

Mount Ararat Church

Westlane Bowling Youth Bowlers

Open Door Baptist Church Lynx Wrestling Alliance

Tractor and Rail Buggy

Longhorns Little League Football Homecoming King and Queen

Lost Emerald Farms

Cinnabon

Buford Street Drug Store & Ace Hardware/ Ed Brown's Rodeo Tractor and wagon

McKown's Mountain Baptist Church

Pacolet Road Baptist Church A & W Plumbing St. Paul's Lutheran Church Cherokee County Soccer Club FBS Sports

Cornerstone Church

Cherokee Avenue Baptist Church

Gowdeysville Baptist Church

Miss Sarah Pennington, Blacksburg Junior Miss

Wesley Parker, Little Mr. Blacksburg

Miss Joyce's Daycare Palmetto Beauty School Peachtree Centre

Keith Phillips

Mr. & Mrs. Bethel Baptist Church 2008 Winners

Ladies Progressive Club of Gaffney Jack & Jill 2008 Winners

Bethel Senior Day Care

Wee Miss & Wee Master Island Creek Baptist Church 2008 Winners

Youth Ministry of Bethel Baptist Church

Roger Shiflett Ford/Roger Shiflett Pontiac-Buick-GMC

Wee Miss Tiny Tot Gaffney, Madalyn Edmond

Majestic Peach Queen of Gaffney, Lauren Ashley Martz

Sunburst Queen, Taylor Blackwell Gaffney Animal Hospital Faith Baptist Church Youth Bethel Baptist Church

Heritage Christian School

Longhorns Little League Football

Temple Baptist Church Youngs Grove Baptist Church

Walmart

Charter Business/Charter Communications

Upstate Body Shop Eagle Limo & Transportation Antique Case Tractor Broad River Antique Power Association

Larry Bruce

Gull Wing Road Rider Association (GWRRA)

Patty Jackson Gaffney Animal Hospital Navy SEALS Search & Rescue Aaron's Hejaz in Tryon Cherokee Technology Center Perry's Wrecker Service Macedonia Baptist Church

Alma Elementary Faculty & Staff Buford Street Drug Store & Ace Hardware