For 50th year, Medora celebrates Christmas with a parade

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MEDORA — In 1972, some of the people in the small southwestern Jackson County town of Medora decided they wanted to start a Christmas parade.

Joe Shields, a lifelong resident of the town, wasn’t involved in the effort to put together that parade because he said he was busy serving as co-chairman of the Fort Vallonia Days festival at the time.

When it came time to plan the second Medora Christmas Parade, Shields knew what he needed to do.

“My hometown is here,” Shields said.

So he helped plan the second Medora Christmas Parade and would continue to do so for the next 36 years.

On Saturday, he was honored for his work all of those years by being named grand marshal of the 50th annual parade.

Shields said with all of the work he did over the years, the recognition was deserved.

He said in the early years of the parade, there were no computers and no way to keep in contact with those who might want to participate in the parade from year to year.

“I traveled to festivals all over the place (to find parade participants),” Shields said. “I racked up a lot of miles.”

He also traveled all over to find vendors from flea markets and craft booths that might want to come to Medora for the parade, which is held on the first Saturday in December each year.

“You name it, I was looking for it,” Shields said.

In the past, some of the parades would have as many as 100 entries.

Mother Nature shined on this year’s parade with temperatures near 50, but that generally isn’t the case, Shields said.

“We’ve had snow, sleet, hail,” he said. “You name it and we’ve had it.”

The parade was the biggest event that was held in Medora for many years until HOPE Medora Goes Pink was started more than a decade ago, Shields said.

“It’s bigger now,” he said

Roger Hurt, who served as the master of ceremonies for this year’s parade, which featured more than 60 entries, said when announcing Shields as parade grand marshal that he had owned Randy’s Market in town for 21 years.

He also ran a catering business that took him to Indianapolis, Evansville, Cincinnati and many places in between.

“I’m sure he always talked about Medora,” Hurt said.

He said Shields always helped the community with issues that needed to be resolved and took water, drinks and snacks for volunteer firefighters when they were fighting a fire.

But most importantly, Hurt said Shields’ hobby is gathering information about Carr Township, including Medora, Weddleville and Sparksville.

Shields wasn’t the only one to shine during Saturday’s event, as Truly Phillips was named the festival’s princess and Asher Reynolds was named its prince.

And a 9-year-old Seymour boy worked his way into the spotlight by singing a rousing rendition of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” before the parade started.

“We came here for the parade, but I wanted to sing,” Landon Lee said.

The boy, who is the son of Misty Davis and stepson of Garrett Gray, said he decided to take the microphone and sing for one reason.

“My dream is to be on ‘America’s Got Talent,’” he said.

Keeley Hansen brought her two sons, 3-year-old Krue and 1-year-old Blaze, to see the parade, but they were more interested in something else.

“They love the candy,” she said.

The nice weather brought out plenty of people to see the parade, listen to music provided by Jerry and Amber Henson and Clarence Brown, watch the clogging by TAPP’D Seymour and visit some of the food and other vendors.

The Carr Township Conservation Club sells fish sandwiches at the event and had sold more than 200 pounds prior to the start of the parade, club member Dick Clampitt said. The club has to take advantage of the parade and HOPE Medora Goes Pink to raise funds.

The day of activities was closed with a Christmas ball at the conservation club.

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