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By NOAH WORTHAM | Managing Editor

As the Pride of Shelby County Marching Band made its way to Columbiana Main Street, I could hear them from afar and immediately recognized a familiar drum pattern followed by the braggadocios but endearing shouts of “Shelby County Drumline.” Contained in those percussive beats were my own memories of years in band—including the times I also marched down Main Street as a trumpet player in the very same band.

Christmas parades in Shelby County are always a wonderfully festive and uniting event for local communities and are a pleasure to cover for the Shelby County Reporter. However, Columbiana’s events are extra special to me as someone who grew up here.

Cowboy Day, Liberty Day, the Columbiana Christmas Parade, Music on Main—as I grew up and continued to mature through the various stages in my life, my hometown was always there offering a large scale event for seemingly every season and I have many memories of spending time on Main Street during these special occasions.

I remember escaping the heat on Liberty Day with the misting tent from the local cub scouts pack and sitting with friends during the fireworks celebration at night on Shelby County High School’s football field. I remember beating the Alabama heat for a brief moment to grab a shake at Davis Drug—a business that is fortunately live and well and still providing me with some of the best milkshakes in the county. I even vaguely recall collecting candy as a kid on the sidewalk near Elvin Hill Elementary School during the Homecoming Parade.

Even now Columbiana is continuing to forge more memories with a bright new one being the breathtaking arrival of the Polar Express at the very end of this year’s Christmas parade. As I struggled to keep my hands warm while snapping photos and collecting video, I knew the train was coming but that still didn’t prepare me for the wonderfully constructed vehicle’s arrival—complete with smoke, a wonderful paint job and well-executed portrayals of characters from the film, including the ghostly hobo riding on top.

Are annual traditions elsewhere like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade exceedingly grander on a scale I can’t even imagine? Sure, I have no doubt but absolutely nothing beats the simplicity and charm of a small southern town and the sense of community you can get in a place like Columbiana and Shelby County as a whole.