Several Christmas events in the CSRA scheduled for the past weekend had been postponed amid gloomy weather forecasts — including North Augusta’s, New Ellenton’s and Graniteville’s Christmas parades.
The 2023 Downtown Aiken Christmas Parade went through without a hitch Sunday afternoon, kicking off at about 2 p.m. at the Aiken Visitor’s Center on Park Avenue, making its way down Laurens Street. The sidewalks were lined with crowds of onlookers camped along downtown storefronts, and growing, by 1:30 p.m.
The Aiken Downtown Development Association canceled last year’s parade due to inclement weather.
The procession saw plenty of businesses involved — such as HoneyBaked Ham, Security Federal Bank, Sir Moose A Lot Bully Kennels and Honda of Aiken — schools, including Mead Hall and Tall Pines STEM Academy, and organizations, like the Aiken Tri-Development Center, the Aiken chapter of the NAACP and the Knights of Columbus, along with more than a few Grinches.
