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50 Years of Christmas Cheer
Written By: Nicole Smith Russell | Issue: November 2024
You’re invited to attend the Cashiers Christmas Parade, set for 3:00 P.M. Saturday, December 7.
The start of the inaugural 1974 Cashiers Christmas Parade with the Smith sisters
(L to R): Jennifer, Lisa, and Nicole.
Each year I hold dear many memories that I love to share with my children. I share them with you now in hopes that you will enjoy learning more about the history of our precious town.
My wonderful mother, Sandie Smith, founded our precious Cashiers Christmas Parade, which we all look forward to each year. She brought the annual Peppermint Stick Parade to life on December 22, 1974. Many notable people who were a part of that special time still live in Cashiers and participate in the tradition today!
I was front and center alongside my sisters, Lisa and Jennifer Smith, on that cold Cashiers morning, with most of the town’s residents either in the parade or on the sidelines cheering us on.
I remember crying a lot because I was cold, and my father, Frank Smith Jr., told me he would buy me a pony if I just made it to the Community Center.
Folks, I made it to the center but have yet to get a pony!
We were so excited as a community to be one, thrilled to be starting a new tradition for our town, our families, and our children: to one day share memories in years to come about the true spirit of Christmas with the Cashiers Christmas Parade.
Hopefully, my children will be just as happy to share the same story as I do, decades from now, to remind everyone where and how the Cashiers Christmas Peppermint Stick Parade came to be.
Merry Christmas, Cashiers, and Merry Christmas, Mom. I’m so very proud of you and the legacy you gave our town.
– Your Loving Daughter, Nikki
The Cashiers Area Chamber proudly announces that Nicole Smith Russell (Nikki Smith) will be the Grand Marshal, in loving memory of her mother, Sandie Smith, for the 50th Annual Cashiers Christmas Peppermint Stick Parade on December 7, at 3:00 PM.
Join us along the new parade route for 50 years of Christmas Cheer in Cashiers!
