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Editorial

The holiday season is an unparalleled time of community and cheer, and that has been evident as we at SCR have seen a variety of parades in the areas we cover.

The parades themselves have been highly professional odes to the joys of the holidays. From Santa to the Grinch, holiday lights to colorful floats, each city put in the maximum effort to make their parades uniquely their own, while still maintaining a similar fervor for the holiday season overall.

It has been wonderful covering all of the parades in the cities and areas we are proud to represent, but it is arguably more wonderful for the families that get to benefit from attending the parades themselves.The holidays, while joyous, can often be overwhelming and lonely. These parades have helped foster a great sense of community and pride in the cities they are held at, and families have been able to reap the benefits of that by participating in the parades and the various activities associated with them.

At SCR, it has been a joy to see the scenery of the parades. The explosions of color pop off of every photo we’ve accrued, and the stories told from organizers and attendees add that much more color to the holiday worlds the parades attempted to convey.

We here at SCR know that the holidays always exist on borrowed time. Amidst the hubbub and rush to accommodate shopping, travel and the chaos surrounding the season, we appreciate that these parades remind communities the importance of the season; giving, intentional time with family and peace on earth.

We hope that, while the holiday season will shortly be over, the feelings of goodwill and cheer we’ve seen at the parades would carry over to 2025, and that the communities we cover would continue to be shining lights of peace and joy throughout Alabama and beyond. We are honored to play a role in the holidays across Shelby County, and are excited to see many more holiday seasons to come.