55 floats, spectators flock to Main Street for Parade of Lights
Floats travel down Main Street in Cortez on Saturday night for the 29th annual Four Corners Board of Realtors Parade of Lights.
Sean Dolan/The Journal
Spectators watch floats travel down Main Street in Cortez on Saturday night for the 29th annual Four Corners Board of Realtors Parade of Lights.
Sean Dolan/The Journal
Sean Dolan/The Journal<br><br>Spectators watch the 29th annual Parade of Lights.
Sean Dolan/The Journal<br><br>A child stares in awe at floats during the 29th annual Parade of Lights.
Spectators watch as a man performs dance moves on the FFA float during the 29th annual Parade of Lights.
Sean Dolan/The Journal
The Mesa Verde Motorsports float travels down Main Street during the 29th annual Parade of Lights.
Sean Dolan/The Journal
Reindeer from the cosmetology school of Pueblo Community College Southwest pulled Santa’s sleigh.
Jim Mimiaga/The Journal
Sean Dolan/The Journal<br><br>Judges watch floats travel down Main Street during the 29th annual Parade of Lights.
Floats travel down Main Street in Cortez on Saturday night for the 29th annual Four Corners Board of Realtors Parade of Lights.
Sean Dolan/The Journal<br>
Jim Mimiaga/The Journal<br>Caleb Carey and Aiden Pearce of Cub Scout Pack 225 get ready to participate in the Parade of Lights. Their float won first place in the nonprofit category.
Sean Dolan/The Journal<br>A float travels down Main Street during the 29th annual Parade of Lights.
Sean Dolan/The Journal<br>A float travels down Main Street during the 29th annual Parade of Lights.
Sean Dolan/The Journal<br>The mine rescue team from GCC Energy prepares for the 29th annual Parade of Lights. The team wore their full working gear along with headlamps and rebreathers.
Sean Dolan/The Journal<br>Spectators watch the 29th annual Parade of Lights.
Sean Dolan/The Journal<br>The Southwest Chapter 2 Blue Star Moms float travels down Main Street during the 29th annual Parade of Lights. The float won second place in the nonprofit category.
These cow costumes brought a lot of smiles during this year’s parade that had a Western theme.
Jim Mimiaga/The Journal<br>
Sean Dolan/The Journal<br>A child stares in awe at floats during the 29th annual Parade of Lights.
Sean Dolan/The Journal<br>A marching band performs during the 29th annual Parade of Lights.
Sean Dolan/The Journal<br>A small dog participates in the 29th annual Parade of Lights.
Spectators watch floats travel down Main Street in Cortez on Saturday night for the 29th annual Four Corners Board of Realtors Parade of Lights.
Sean Dolan/The Journal<br>
Sean Dolan/The Journal<br>The Ute Mountain Casino travels down Main Street during the 29th annual Parade of Lights.
Sean Dolan/The Journal<br>Judges watch the 29th annual Parade of Lights.
Jim Mimiaga/The Journal<br>Niko Sedillo performed in the Cortez Parade of Lights.
Sean Dolan/The Journal<br>A man hands out treats during the 29th annual Parade of Lights.
Sean Dolan/The Journal<br>A woman hands out treats during the 29th annual Parade of Lights.<br>
Sean Dolan/The Journal<br>Kids try to stay warm during the 29th annual Parade of Lights.
Sean Dolan/The Journal<br>A man hands out treats during the 29th annual Parade of Lights.
Sean Dolan/The Journal<br>A float travels down Main Street during the 29th annual Parade of Lights.
Sean Dolan/The Journal<br>A man performs wild dance moves on the FFA float during the 29th annual Parade of Lights.
Sean Dolan/The Journal<br>Spectators watch as a man performs dance moves on the FFA float during the 29th annual Parade of Lights.
Jim Mimiaga/The Journal<br>William Fish and Zach Higgins helped to build a wagon-themed float for the parade.
Sean Dolan/The Journal<br>Floats travel down Main Street during the 29th annual Parade of Lights.
Sean Dolan/The Journal<br>The Saint Margaret Mary Church float travelsl down Main Street during the 29th annual Parade of Lights.
Jim Mimiaga/The Journal<br>Lloyd Rose decorated his 1958 Ford Fairlane 500 hardtop convertible for the parade.
Sean Dolan/The Journal<br>Floats travel down Main Street during the 29th annual Parade of Lights.
Sean Dolan/The Journal<br>Floats travel down Main Street during the 29th annual Parade of Lights.
Sean Dolan/The Journal<br>The Mesa Verde Motosports float travels down Main Street during the 29th annual Parade of Lights.
Jim Mimiaga/The Journal<br>Reindeer from the cosmetology school of Pueblo Community College Southwest pulled Santa's sleigh.
Sean Dolan/The Journal<br>Judges watch floats travel down Main Street during the 29th annual Parade of Lights.
Sean Dolan/The Journal<br>The Montezuma-Cortez High School marching band prepares for the 29th annual Parade of Lights.
Jim Mimiaga/The Journal<br>The Crossroads Christian Fellowship had a creative float that has baby Jesus wrapped as a present from God.
Jim Mimiaga/The Journal<br>Mark Brunk, of Le Pew, built a float featuring a porta pottie and skunks.
The 29th annual Parade of Lights put on a spectacular display of lights, live music and holiday cheer Saturday night on Main Street in Cortez.
The fresh snow and winter chill added to the excitement as 55 colorful, festive floats passed by hundreds of bundled up spectators lining the street. But it wasn’t just for fun, the floats competed for cash prizes in three categories.
The Four Corners Board of Realtors, which puts on the event, invited five judges: Scott Magnus of Ute Mountain Post 75 American Legion, Rick Torres of Montezuma County Veteran Services, Terry Whelan of the Kiwanis Club of Mesa Verde, Eric Wilson of the Piñon Project and Tom Seymour of the Dolores Rotary Club.
In the nonprofit category, Cub Scout Pack 225 took first place, Southwest Chapter 2 Blue Star Moms took second, and Arriola Bible Church took third. In the commercial category, Sunglass Cortez was declared the winner, Dolores State Bank came in second, and Stormy’s ATC Gymnastics placed third. In the “Other” category, Cortez FFA came out on top, Pueblo Community College Southwest took second place, and Crossroads Christian Fellowship came in third.
Cub Scout Pack 225 had a classic Western theme for its float with cactus and tumbleweeds surrounding a mock-up of a jail. Cub Scouts dressed up in decorated cardboard cow costumes led the way.
This is the second year the Cub Scouts participated, and they are “better than last year with more lights!” said Den Leader Shalun Maloney. “The kids are so excited.”
The Crossroads Christian Fellowship float featured a baby Jesus in a manger wrapped up in a giant present with a star shining down from above.
“Jesus is on display, and he is the gift from God,” said float organizer Sarah Overton. “We are participating to share the message of salvation to the community. I love how many people get involved to usher in the season.”
During the parade, Overton sang songs of faith while accompanied by a guitar player.
The Dolores State Bank float featured a wintry scene of creative, handmade snowmen made from concrete and yarn along with Santa and Mrs. Claus sitting back in lounge chairs. Loan processor Heather Veach said they had been working on the float since noon.
“We’re the best bank in town, man. We gotta represent,” Veach said.
The Pueblo Community College Southwest float was a joint effort between the school’s cosmetology, automotive and EMS programs. Cosmetology instructor Brenda Knapp said it took a lot of communication between the programs, which operate on different schedules.
Cosmetology student Taylor Cook, along with five others, were dressed in reindeer onesies. They held onto a rope of red lights and “pulled” an ambulance with Santa Claus himself seated on top.
The Montezuma-Cortez School District Bus Barn float featured a covered wagon with scenes of the desert, cactus and snow-covered mountains on the side, explained float builders William Fish and Zach Higgins, both 11.
“It was fun designing it and using what we had to build it,” Fish said. Higgins added that being part of it was a way to “work together on a creative project.”
Lloyd Rose lit up his 1958 Ford Fairlane 500 hardtop convertible with stylish lights and added a decorated tumbleweed on the back.
“My wife and daughter convinced me to enter this year,” he said. “The parade gets bigger and bigger every year. We love it.”
Portable toilet company Le Pew participated for the first time after employee Mark Brunk suggested it.
Le Pew’s float featured blow-up skunks, a penguin, a decorated tree with presents, a portable pottie and Christmas music blasting from a sound system Brunk rigged up.
“Our joke is ‘Ho, Ho, Ho, even Santa has to go!’” Brunk said. “It’s great for advertising and for getting involved in a traditional event.”
The mine rescue team from GCC Energy played heavy metal Christmas tunes as they walked down Main Street decked out in full working gear, including headlamps and four-hour rebreathers. Captain Jake Wood said they want to let people know that mine workers are still out there.
The event is beloved among Cortez residents but also attracts folks from out of state.
Latisha John brought her kids from Montezuma Creek, Utah. She said this was their second trip to see the parade, and all the kids like seeing all the lights.
“We’re getting the winter and Christmas spirit,” John said.
Cortez resident Fawn Clark said her family likes the lights and creativity. She’s been coming for years, but this was the first Parade of Lights for her daughter, Georgia, who is 1 year old.
