Monett Christmas parade

Monett Police Lieutenant Greg Brandsma drove the 1951 Monett police car reproduction to head the Monett Christmas parade. (Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com)

Dayton Mackey, driven by Rex Kay, enjoyed the parade as its grand marshal. (Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com)

Santa Claus waved to the crowd at the Monett Christmas parade from atop the Monett city fire department's ladder truck. (Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com)

The flag corps for the Monett Marching Pride smiled at the crowd in leading the first band in the Monett Christmas parade. (Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com)

The MHS Marching Pride Band made a big sound as it approached the grandstand during the Christmas parade. Assistant director Todd Borgmann is at right. (Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com)

Cindy Serrano, attendant in the Monett High School Miss Merrie Christmas court, waved to the crowd. (Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com)

MHS Miss Merrie Christmas attendant Kelly Aldaba had one of the most stretched out comfortable seats for the parade on the back of a truck. (Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com)

Iris Wormington, Monett High School's Miss Merrie Christmas, rode in style as she waved to the crowd during Saturday's Christmas parade. (Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com)

The Barry County Shrine Club's Firehouse Gang piled on their truck for a popular parade appearance. (Murr)

Mike Bennett with the Purdy Fire District held his grandson, Aiden Bennett, as he drove the department's main pumper down Broadway for the Purdy Christmas parade. (Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com)

Cub Scout Pack No. 140 won third place honors for their outdoor camping scene on their float in the Monett Christmas parade. (Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com)

The Fairview Antique Auto Club brought several vintage cars for Monett's parade. (Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com)

First place honors for bands went to the Pierce City High School Marching Eagles at Monett's Christmas parade. (Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com)

The Pierce City FFA brought a train as their float for the parade. (Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com)

The POP Cheer Factory junior gymnastics competition cheerleading and tumbling team brought candy and pink outfits to brighten Monett's parade. (Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com)

The New Hope Fundamental Methodist Church float emphasized Jesus as God's gift in its parade float. (Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com)

Doug Hobson drove his 1923 Ford Model T as president of the Monett Historical Society in the parade. (Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com)

The Monett Historical Society again offered hot chocolate at the Monett Museum before and after the parade, as advertised on its second vehicle in the parade. (Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com)

Tom and Georgeanna Wormington's 1956 Ford Victoria offered a classy vehicle entry in the Monett parade. (Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com)

Mocha Jo's coffee café had its own vehicle sharing holiday cheer in the Monett parade. (Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com)

Elves with the Walkerville Chamber of Commerce shared treats with children on the parade sidelines. (Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com)

The Walkerville Chamber of Commerce Disaster Response Team's float of Santa and his sleigh won top honors for floats. (Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com)

The Purdy High School Marching Eagles won second place for bands in the Monett parade. (Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com)

Purdy High School freshmen Madison Renkoski and Justin McGuirk, candidates for the Mister and Miss Merry Christmas title, rode in Monett's parade. The seniors claimed the title. (Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com)

Purdy sophomores Casey Ellison and Chandler Orwig, candidates for Mister and Miss Merry Christmas at Purdy High School, tossed candy to the crowd. (Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com)

Dressed like part of the herd, family and friends represented the Edgewood Creamery from rural Purdy in the Monett parade. Pictured, from left, are: Marley Jackson, Aubrey Fletcher, Carson Schlessmann and sister Kinley Schlessman. (Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com)

The Cassville Cruisers car club brought nine vehicles for the Monett parade. (Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com)

Wendy and Ed Kryselmire of Cassville and their dog Bitsy rode in a 1903 Oldsmobile in the Monett parade. (Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com)

The New Life Freewill Baptist Church of Monett, with its float of multiple rooms, had a float with a message in the parade. (Murr)

The Bayou restaurant in Monett had a wave and goodies for the parade crowd. (Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com)

Walter Branch drove Annalee Huntress's classy 1950 Studebaker in the parade. (Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com)

A winter scene centered around a log cabin made St. Lawrence Catholic Church's homey float entry in the Monett parade. (Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com)

Tony Hudson's 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air won second place in the late model antique vehicles at the parad.e

Cindy Hudson wrote a 1923 Ford T-Bucket in Monett's Christmas parade.

The Monett Lions Club had inflated carolers riding the back of their pickup to add a touch of color to the parade. (Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com)

Micro race cars from Twister Alley race track in Butterfield made their first appearance in Monett's parade. (m)

The Red Dirt T-shirt Company, located in the Plymouth Junction flea market at 311 E. Broadway made their first parade appearance.

Countryside Christian Church promoted its Living Nativity presentation with its float. (Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com)

Even the Grinch made an appearance in Monett's parade as part of the Security Finance float.

Even the Grinch made an appearance in Monett's parade as part of the Security Finance float.

The striking float from the Aurora Faith Full Gospel Church, showing the "old" and "new" ways to God, from the Hebrew Arc of the Covenant to Jesus, won second place in the float division in Monett's parade.

Donald Brown's 1929 and 1930 Ford pickup and car added class to Monett's parade. (Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com)

The Verona Wildcat Band won honors as the First Year Band in the parade.

Rex Kay's 1931 Model A Ford Coupe won top honors as an antique car in the parade. (Murr)

The YMCA Fun Bus alternated between playing "Star Wars" music for its marching storm troopers and switching to the "YMCA" song, for everyone to dance along.

The Outburst Cloggers put on a dancing show from their float in the parade.

Tom Wolfe Memorial Post No. 4102, Veterans of Foreign Wars, offered a salute to veterans in their parade entry. (Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com)

Ken Gauthier's 1948 Chevrolet Fleetmaster led a contigent of marchers offering a salute to the Monett Senior Center in the parade. (Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com)

John Birkenbach's 1965 Chevrolet Impala

Harold Duke's 1939 Chevrolet.

Wilburn Riddell's classic Chevrolet pickup. (Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com)

Taking Best in Show was Leon Hilton's 1943 John Deere B tractor.

Retired Monett building inspector George Rausch showed how to stay busy on the blueberry farm with his tractor. (Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com)

The Monett FFA offered a "boot-scootin'" Christmas celebration on its float. (Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com)

Little Miss Barry County, Raleigh Belle Brown, won the hearts of the audience and the top equestrian entry for her holiday presentation. (Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com)

Sydney Zielenski, on her quarter horse, Bandit, had multiple horses in the parade. (Murray Bishoff/times-news@monett-times.com)