The crowd delighted in seeing the Spray Christmas Tree, donated by Stanley Valley Ranch and with bulbs donated by the Oregon Frontier Chamber of Commerce, light up after a countdown in the city park immediately following the parade. (Joni Kabana)
Santa make sure that Rudolf is ready for the Spray Christmas parade. (Joni Kabana)
Santa makes his appearance at the first annual Spray Christmas parade. (Joni Kabana)
Joni Kabana and Hannah Nead stand in front of the Spray Christmas Tree after the parade. (Todd Harvey)
Rudolf the red-nosed reindeer delighted the crowd when making his appearance at the Spray Christmas parade. (Joni Kabana)
Can a Christmas parade be planned in five days? Yes, it can, if you put two feisty gals together when each of them holds a special place in their hearts for the tiny town of Spray, Oregon.
When Hannah Nead, of Stanley Valley Ranch, got the notion in her head to plan a Spray Christmas Parade at the last minute, she called her friend Joni Kabana, owner of the Spray General Store, who regularly plans events throughout the year. At first, Joni was hesitant to give it a whirl, realizing how long it takes to prep, coordinate and facilitate such endeavors, especially when they include multiple activity facets and a crowd of people. But further thinking about the Spray townspeople and their can-do attitudes, she quickly jumped on board.
Nead and Kabana split up the duties and got to work. Hannah focused on calling people to get parade participants, while Joni worked on communications and securing a Santa suit (provided by the Oregon Frontier Chamber of Commerce) and a live Santa. Little did they know that the whole town would soon be passing the idea to friends and family and creative energy became combustible in this town.
On Sunday, December 15 at 6pm, Spray hosted its first annual Christmas Parade with all of the regalia of an event that could have taken a year to plan. Fire trucks, ranch equipment, big trucks and side-by-sides, adorned with lights and Christmas scenes, delighted those who lined the streets. One special surprise (besides Santa, of course) was the live appearance of Rudolf the red-nosed reindeer.
After the festive parade, everyone gathered in the city park to hear the countdown to lighting a huge Christmas tree, donated by Stanley Valley Ranch with ornaments provided by the chamber. Asher Clinic surprised the merry gathering with hot chocolate, very much appreciated during the chilly evening.
Spirits were skyrocketing and ideas were passed around about what could be possible next year.
So stay tuned for next year when the 2nd Annual Spray Christmas Parade occurs on Sunday, December 14, 2025 at 6pm. Who knows what this village will drum up if they have a bit more lead time and planning?
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