The Franklin Chamber of Commerce will officially ring in the holiday season with the annual Christmas parade beginning at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 27.
Entries will line up along Church Street behind the Courthouse. The route will begin by pulling out on the top of Town Hill beside Town Hall. The route will proceed down Main Street turning left at the Lazy Hiker Brewing Company onto Porter Street, then turning left onto Palmer Street. The route will end at the intersection of the Highlands Road and Main Street.
Participants will again be able to have folks walk beside their float/entry handing out candy. No candy can be thrown from a moving vehicle. In addition, all horses must wear a manure bag/horse diaper.
For more information about the parade, call the Chamber of Commerce at 828-524-3161.
The Chamber will be closed Thursday and Friday, Nov. 24 and 25 for Thanksgiving.
Grand marshal
This year’s grand marshal will be Sheriff Robert Holland. Holland has served as Macon County sheriff for 20 years (five terms). He announced earlier this year he would be retiring in November 2022. He and his wife, Marcie, have been married for 29 years and have two children ages 12 and 16. The Hollands are members of Pine Grove Baptist Church, where they both have attended since childhood.
Sheriff Holland began his career with the Macon County Sheriff’s Office in 1991. Before being elected as sheriff, Holland served in many positions, including eight years as a juvenile officer where he earned numerous state awards, as well as, serving as president of the N.C. Juvenile Officer’s Association. Holland was also instrumental in the 2001 passage of the N.C. Infant Homicide Prevention Act, which was drafted after the death investigation of a local newborn.
Holland has served on the board of directors of the local child advocacy center, Kids Place, for more than 20 years. He served eight years on the Governor’s Task Force for Safer Schools in leadership roles representing WNC law enforcement and has spent his career being an advocate for youth and their safety.
Holland will officially retire from the Macon County Sheriff’s Office with 31 years of service on Nov. 30, 2022.