by Melissa Elmore, Browsing Bison Bookstore
The Stevensville Country Christmas is something that Bitterrooters look forward to every holiday season. It welcomes December with hot chocolate, Christmas carols, and all other sorts of holiday cheer. The parade of lights (as we called it back then) was always a Christmas staple in my house growing up; in fact, I can distinctly recall getting bundled up in MANY layers to go enjoy the festivities without freezing. Back then, my favorite part was the horse-drawn rides – before I learned I’m allergic to hay. These days my favorite part is the simple tree lighting. Hearing all the gasps and cheers as the spectators notice the lights turning on always brings a smile.
In the past few years, the celebration has undergone a few changes due to the pandemic and our expanding town. The parade is no longer composed of solely (no pun intended) foot traffic; it now displays vehicles decked-out in lights and other decorations. My personal favorite new development is the parade rolling past The Living Center before gracing Main Street with its presence. Now the seniors get to see the beautiful parade without leaving the warmth of the Center. A genius move that I’m so glad we’re incorporating!
This year there were a multitude of holiday displays in the parade. From the Grinch, to light-up reindeer, to an inflatable teddy bear, to – of course – holiday icon, Santa Claus! A couple dogs, firefighters, folks on horseback, and a flurry of Christmas carols playing. A few people even tossed candy to the kids on the sidelines, who eagerly scooped up every piece. I watched with my niece who brought an entire backpack in anticipation of the sweets. In the end it was a beautiful night that included cozy fires, the annual nativity scene, friends and family from out of town, a proposal, and many bundled-up babies and kiddos.
I had the privilege of watching the parade in the middle of my shift at Browsing Bison Books. The bookstore offered free cookies and hot cocoa (with mini marshmallows of course) until 8 on Friday, and we gained quite a few new customers. We’ve been working on getting our name out in the open, and hopefully First Friday did just that. Here at Browsing Bison Books we have new and used books, children’s books, Montana gifts and swag, little trinkets, and a new Blind Date With a Book section. We are hoping that we have a successful holiday season, and that we can help people to remember the good old days before technology, when it was a joy to receive a book for Christmas. Until then, we will settle for being another hidden gem of Stevensville, Montana. Happy holidays from us!
Browsing Bison Bookstore is located at 115 W. 3rd, Suite 108, in Stevensville.