The annual Mohawk Christmas parade ushered in the season in good style Sunday afternoon with a procession that stretched as usual from within sight of Interstate 81 to the Mohawk Post Office.

Greene County Sheriff Steve Burns led the procession. The grand marshal was Greene County Clerk David Thompson.

Carolyn Beach, who organizes the parade each year for the Mohawk Ruritan Club, said the parade had four floats, plus the VFW Color Guard from Bulls Gap, plenty of old tractors, horses and wagons, fire trucks -- and, of course, Santy Claus, who bore a strong resemblance to Eddie Pettit.

"The kids got gobs of candy," Beach said. The Mohawk parade still allows candy, she noted.

Though rain kept some watchers away, "It quit raining right before the parade, and started misting" again right afterward.

All in all, Beach said, "We had a pretty good parade."

Watchers lined the long route, which runs along a ridge with a view of the countryside.

As usual, the biggest crowd waited near the Mohawk Post Office.

Kesterson's Store sported a float, as did Fairview Church. The Fairview Church float won first place.

"The Big Dawg" from WIKQ made a pre-Christmas appearance, as did the folks from Pizza Plus, and a pack of Cub Scouts from Mosheim.

Tim and Carolyn Cobble, who won the Mohawk Christmas lighting contest, also were in the parade, Beach said, along with "a lot of people who were running for office."

S&S Millwright had a float, and a brand new Greene Coach bus was present, along with a big, shiny truck from the nearby Walmart Distribution Center at Midway, Beach said.

Triangle Press employees tossed notepads to anyone in the crowd who wanted to leave a note for Santa.