Bringing cheer to downtown Aiken, S.C., with festively dressed up ponies and dogs, the Hoofbeats & Christmas Carols Parade drew out a huge crowd on Saturday afternoon, Dec. 16.
Traveling two and half miles from the intersection of Barnwell and Greenville streets, the holiday parade featured caroling through the streets of Aiken with riders on horseback and hundreds of dogs, equestrians and various Christmas characters.
Presented by the Aiken Equine Rescue and the SPCA Albrecht Center for Animal Welfare, the event started 13 years ago as an annual fundraiser by founders and has grown to become a Christmas tradition for many animal lovers.
As horses and dogs donned with decorative tinsel, hats, bells, ribbons and other accessories pranced through downtown, children waved and laughed at the joyful sight.
Older adults dress in style for the annual Hoofbeats and Christmas Carols Parade. Staff photo by Liz Wright.A German Shepherd rides with owner in pony section of Aiken’s Hoofbeats and Christmas Carols Parade. Staff photo by Liz Wright.Riders participate in Hoofbeats and Christmas Carols Parade decked out in festive accessories. Staff photo by Liz Wright.Participants of the annual Hoofbeats and Christmas Carols Parade wave as they pass attendees. Staff photo by Liz Wright.Participants of the annual Hoofbeats and Christmas Carols Parade wave as they pass attendees. Staff photo by Liz Wright.Dressed in fun costumes, participants wish attendees a Merry Christmas throughout the Hoofbeats and Christmas Carols Parade. Staff photo by Liz Wright.Participants of the annual Hoofbeats and Christmas Carols Parade wave as they pass attendees. Staff photo by Liz Wright.Participants of the annual Hoofbeats and Christmas Carols Parade wave as they pass attendees. Staff photo by Liz Wright.Dressed in fun costumes, participants wish attendees a Merry Christmas throughout the Hoofbeats and Christmas Carols Parade. Staff photo by Liz Wright.Appearing in matching gear, rider smiles for a photo with her horse during the cheerful parade. Staff photo by Liz Wright.The Grinch shows off expert riding experience during the Hoofbeats and Christmas Carols Parade. Staff photo by Liz Wright.Participants of the annual Hoofbeats and Christmas Carols Parade wave as they pass attendees. Staff photo by Liz Wright.A young rider smiles as she enjoys riding in the Hoofbeats and Christmas Carols Parade. Staff photo by Liz Wright.A festive family smiles and laughs as they walk the streets of downtown Aiken in the 2023 Hoofbeats and Christmas Carols Parade. Staff photo by Liz Wright.Participants of the annual Hoofbeats and Christmas Carols Parade wave as they pass attendees. Staff photo by Liz Wright.Siblings hold on tight as they ride a horse in the yearly Hoofbeats and Christmas Carols Parade. Staff photo by Liz Wright.Cleaning streets during the Hoofbeats and Christmas Carols Parade, elves sometimes do more than wave behind horses. Staff photo by Liz Wright.Decorative dogs prance through downtown Aiken in the annual Hoofbeats and Christmas Carols Parade. Staff photo by Liz Wright.Participants of the annual Hoofbeats and Christmas Carols Parade wave as they pass attendees. Staff photo by Liz Wright.
Liz Wright started with The Augusta Press in May of 2022, and loves to cover a variety of community topics. She strives to always report in a truthful and fair manner, which will lead to making her community a better place. In June 2023, Liz became the youngest recipient and first college student to have been awarded the Georgia Press Association's Emerging Journalist of the Year. With a desire to spread more positive news, she especially loves to write about good things happening in Augusta. In her spare time, she can be found reading novels or walking her rambunctious Pitbull.
Comment Policy
The Augusta Press encourages and welcomes reader comments; however, we request this be done in a respectful manner, and we retain the discretion to determine which comments violate our comment policy. We also reserve the right to hide, remove and/or not allow your comments to be posted.
The types of comments not allowed on our site include:
Threats of harm or violence
Profanity, obscenity, or vulgarity, including images of or links to such material
Racist comments
Victim shaming and/or blaming
Name calling and/or personal attacks;
Comments whose main purpose are to sell a product or promote commercial websites or services;
Comments that infringe on copyrights;
Spam comments, such as the same comment posted repeatedly on a profile.
