Mainx24 is a newer tradition for our family. Last year we participated in our first Fireman's Breakfast and the Mainx24 Christmas Parade and we loved it, so this year I wanted to make sure we didn't miss out.
I knew that Saturday was going to be a busy day for us (Daniel had plans for an afternoon hike with friends) and his mom was also coming into town, but we still managed to squeeze in the breakfast and parade on a gorgeous December day.
We all slept in (a first!), but I managed to get everyone awake and out the door by 9:30am. We arrived at the fire station at 10am and had just enough time to eat breakfast and then walk outside to enjoy the parade.
This is the same timeline we followed last year and it was perfect for kids – no extra waiting in line for pancakes and the parade started right after breakfast was over.
While we ate our pancakes, someone played Christmas carols on a grand piano. The music was nice, but then a lady got up to accompany the piano. Jack's reaction sums it up, "That lady is yelling and it scares me." He proceeded to cover his ears for the duration of breakfast. To be fair, the singing probably wasn't as bad as it sounded, but the PA system was lousy and all together it was not working. So we gobbled up our pancakes and headed outside.
We found a good spot right outside of the fire station and then ran into a college friend. We love that even though Chattanooga is a city, it is still small enough to run into friends at local events!
We thought that Isaac would nap in the stroller, but he loved watching all of the floats and people walk by. Jack loved collecting all of the candy and now our candy dish is restocked and should last us until Easter.
My favorite part of parades are the marching bands. I always get a little choked up. I guess it just makes me feel nostalgic. Jack really liked the marching band too – even when they stopped right in front of us and banged loudly on the drums!
There was a man playing an organ directly behind where we were standing, so in addition to the parade, we were serenaded with Christmas music the entire time.
Other favorites included the Chattanooga Fire Cabaret and the Book Mobile (they pass out books to kids every year). I also adore all of the old jeeps and cars, and the VW Campers decorated for Christmas.
I'm looking forward to next year! Mainx24 lasts for 24 hours on Main Street with many more activities. Hopefully we will be able to squeeze in a couple of other things next year in addition to the pancake breakfast and parade.
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