Plains kicks off community holiday festivities

Kris Kringle made a special stop in Plains last week, coming into town this year on a borrowed sleigh and meeting with kids along the greenway.

With a little chill in the air, more than 200 people lined Railroad Street along the greenway for the Parade of Lights Christmas Parade on Saturday evening with a decorated Plains Community Ambulance leading the way. Forty-two vehicles - the biggest yet - made their way through Plains with Santa, Mrs. Claus, and their elves, Cooper and Kendall, on the 10-foot long tailored sleigh, borrowed from the Thompson Falls Rural Fire District.

The parade took less than 30 minutes to get through town, but there was a variety of units this year, including first time parade goer Corey Booth, who bought the Mangy Moose Mercantile in August. Booth, driving a riding mower and dressed in a one-piece moose outfit, towed two trailers of children. "We threw out glow sticks since it was a light parade," said Booth. The Christmas parade was the first for Plains resident Andy Gonzalez, who drove his homemade hot rod go-cart, complete with the Christmas light look, and was the first for residents Steve and Kathi Roque, who drove an ATV brimming with paper snowflakes, Christmas lights, and a giant Christmas rooster. Scott Johnson had his 1961 Scout International in the parade, decked out with lights and glow sticks. Johnson decided to be in the parade that morning after being asked by Steve Spurr, president of the Plains Lions Club and Father Christmas.

Spurr was particularly impressed with the float of Warrior Fitness, which had a huge metal horse, holiday inflatables and a countless number of colorful lights. The Plains Alliance Church and Plains Bible Chapel had units. Bruce Beckstead drove the South Side Sparks 4-H club float with a dozen 4-H'ers and a handful of inflatable figures. For the second time, Larri Jo Ovitt and her PT Cruiser showed their Christmas spirit with a big inflatable snowman on the roof, colored lights nearly covering the entire car, and Christmas tunes reaching out to the crowd.

Santa and his family probably got the biggest ovation, but Kringle's work didn't end at the parade. He parked his sleigh on the greenway, where he visited with dozens of children. He was accompanied in the sleigh by the Cooper dog, "Bentley, their reindeer in training," said Santa.

"It's these things that get people going for Christmas," said 13-year-old Cooper Spurr, Santa's head elf and daughter. Spurr has been doing the Kringle gig in Plains since 2014. Four years later, he started the parade, catching a ride on an old fire engine from the Plains Paradise Rural Fire District, the only vehicle in the parade. And he was in his famous red suit when the greenway festivities started in 2021.

"Before the official parade started, I would get dropped off at Ripples in many different modes of transportation - horse and buggy, snowmobiles on a trailer, the old fire truck, classic cars," said Spurr, whose Santa role dates back to his high school days in Indiana in the 1960s in a suit his grandparents gave him. "I just like helping make other folks' Christmases bright and seeing the glow on the kids' faces; you can't put a price on that," said Spurr.

For the Saturday event, the Plains Lions Club also set up a crafts table for kids to show their artistic talents on Christmas ornaments. Marv and Margo Tanner handed out baked potatoes with all the toppings. Whitney Spurr, Mrs. Claus, had the honor of lighting the Lions Christmas tree, which was put up by Lions members that morning. Lions Marion Jolin and Rick Powers also helped with the event.

"This was the best turnout we've had and people had lots of fun," said Steve Spurr, who was pleased that the Cancer Network of Sanders County joined them on the greenway for the festivities. He added that he welcomes any other organizations that would like to join them next year.