Special to the Enquirer 

The 2020 Hartselle Christmas Parade is in the works, but organizers said they are monitoring local and state guidelines to make sure it can be held safely amid the global pandemic.  

“We are moving forward with our plans for the Christmas parade and keeping our fingers crossed that we can safely have the event at 7 p.m. Dec. 10,” said Kiwanis President Jennifer Williams. “We have had to do a lot of things differently this year, as have so many people and organizations. It has been a crazy, unpredictable year for everyone, but we are doing our best to have a bit of normalcy in 2020, if at all possible.” 

Online registration will open soon for the parade, which will also be streamed online that night thanks to Life Church, Williams added. “We wanted to add the livestream option for those who want to enjoy the parade but who might not yet be comfortable at a public event.” 

This year’s parade theme is “There’s Snow Place Like Home,” which Williams said pays subtle homage to the “safer-at-home” mandates and mentality that have pervaded 2020. 

The Kiwanis Club had to make changes to how it raises money for its annual scholarships for local high school students and its donations to community organizations that support children and their families. The club moved its annual half marathon race to a virtual format this year and plans to announce a holiday home decorating contest in the next few weeks.  

Runners can register online for the race and complete it on their own time – even running a mile or two a day.  

“You can run it on your treadmill, on a trail or at the track,” said Williams. “There’s still time to participate – just complete the 13.1 miles by Oct. 31 to earn your medal.”  

T-shirts and tank tops are available to purchase online.  

Details and registration for all current and upcoming Kiwanis events can be found at www.hartsellekiwanisclub.org.