Santa, snow and pets
Cowboy Christmas to have pet parade, fake snow
By BENJAMIN C. SHARP bensharp@journal-spectator.com

Staff Photo by Benjamin Sharp Lhasa Apso "Hsu Ling" - owned by Billie Jones - is ready for Saturday's parade with a sweater that reads: "If you can read this, pull me out of the snow." Santa, snow and pets

Young, old, biped, quadruped ... this weekend's Cowboy Christmas is for you. From snow to live music to a parade for pets, the holiday festival has something for just about everyone. And organizers say the show will go on - rain or shine.

With past festivals in Wharton falling prey to rain-outs, Cowboy Christmas volunteers are doing all they can ahead of time to ensure things proceed as planned. Caney Creek Church, on Milam Street in downtown Wharton, has been secured as the back-up site. Music, contests and children's activities will all be relocated there, if necessary.

Some things can't be moved, though. Snow, for instance, must be preserved where it "falls." The white flaky stuff, brought to town courtesy of Houston based Ice Express, will be covered with a tent and tarps in the case of rain.

Such preparations may be an unfortunate necessity. National Weather Service forecasts call for a 60 percent chance of showers on Saturday.

"We're going to have this rain or shine. Nothing's going to be canceled. We're good to go," said Doc Blakely, one of the organizers.

The event will coincide with the Wharton County Farmers Market, which is held each Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon on Houston Street. The market features fresh produce, baked items and hand-made arts and crafts.

Cowboy Christmas entertainment begins at 10 a.m. in the Gazebo and in front of the Plaza Theater.

The snow arrives at 12:30 p.m. near the Gazebo. Though the snow is man-made (out of ice chips), it's still plenty cold to the touch. Blakely encourages area youngsters to dress appropriately.

"Kids should wear gloves and boots. We don't want anybody to get frostbite," he said. "It's as close to nature's snow, they say, as you can get."

Festivities will continue throughout the afternoon, with one highlight being a pet parade.

The parade route begins at the Prosperity Bank parking lot on Burleson Street and continues around the courthouse, ending in the Plaza Theater. Judges will be looking for the best cowboy costume and the best Christmas costume.

"It's sure to be a lot of fun," said chairperson Abby King- Burditt.

Parade "marshal" will be Jamie King and her Chihuahua, "Paco."

The contest is open to pets of any breed, though organizers stressed that particularly aggressive animals should not participate.

"And all animals need to be on a leash," King-Burditt said.

Anyone interested should meet at the Prosperity Bank parking lot by 2 p.m. Pet "escorts" will be given a contestant number.

"We want as many as possible," King-Burditt said.

Cowboy Christmas will continue into Sunday as well, with cowboy church and a breakfast kicking off at 9 a.m. in front of Cuevas Mexican Restaurant on Houston Street.

A chuckwagon from the Pierce Ranch will serve biscuits, gravy and coffee for breakfast.

Blakely expects a large crowd for the two-day event. He said over 5,000 flyers were sent out to local schools.