Emery Boyer, bundled up in a winter coat and a purple knit hat with a white stripe, sat on the curb in the 1000 block of Penn Street Saturday morning focused.
She was ready to pounce, awaiting the next batch of sweets to come flying her way, tossed by marchers in the annual City of Reading Holiday Parade as they made their way slowly down the street.
“The candy,” the four-year-old from Shillington quickly responded when asked what her favorite part of the festive event was.
Emery was in luck. If there was one thing that was in abundance Saturday, it was candy.
Smiling and giggling kids scrambled around the edges of the street, picking up candy canes and Tootsie Rolls and Starbursts and lollipops, filling plastic bags or their pockets with hauls that rivaled those captured on Halloween.
Emery was enthralled with the ritual, giddily plucking treats off the blacktop with her white-gloved hands.
But then, suddenly, everything changed.
Looking for another wave of sugary delights, Emery saw something else flying her way. She jumped to her feet and grabbed a small stuffed animal that could best be described as a unicorn chicken.
She held it aloft as she returned to her curb, squealing and dancing as she showed it off to everyone and anyone who would look. Candy, she admitted, was now relegated to second place.
“I love it,” she said, holding the toy tightly to her chest.
It was a moment of pure glee, one of childhood wonder and excitement. And that’s the whole point of the parade.
Hundreds gathered Saturday morning, lining a half-dozen blocks of Penn Street to capture a bit of that festive feeling. They swayed to the music of marching bands, the looked in awe at oversized balloons and colorfully decorated floats, they awaited the arrival of the star of the show.
“I like Santa,” Emery’s cousin, three-year-old Oliva Boyer from Shillington said.
A few feet away, Ari Reynoso and Aster Arias were also anticipating the appearance of the big man in the red suit.
“We love Santa,” Reynoso, a 16-year-old from Muhlenberg, said.
Reynoso said she was thrilled to be able to attend Saturday’s parade. As a trumpet player in the Muhlenberg High School marching band, she’s typical a participant instead of a spectator.
“I haven’t watched a parade in a while,” she said. “I’m really excited. I’m excited to see the other marching bands.”
Arias agreed that the marching bands were a highlight of the event, adding that she was also excited just to see so many people out having fun.
“It’s really nice to see everyone in the community coming together,” the 18-year-old from Reading said.
Reynoso added that the parade is a really great way to fire up the happy feelings of the holiday season.
“It’s perfect for the holidays,” she said. “Christmas is here in Reading.”
The parade certainly had six-year-old Casyn Shoemaker and seven-year-old Rosalyn Repollet in the holiday spirit.
The watched the parade with joy in their eyes, Rosalyn, like most of the kids there, with a keen eye on the candy.
“I like candy a lot,” she said, revealing her favorite are Kit-Kats.
Casyn liked the candy too — his preferred variety are Skittles — but he also was thrilled to see a group of motorcycles loudly revving their way down Penn Street.
“My grandpa has one,” he said with a smile.
Casyn was also eager to catch a glimpse of Santa.
“I’ll say hi to him,” he said.
Source: Berkshire mont
Be First to Comment