For a community with a population that hovers around just 1,000 people, there’s not often a lot of commotion coming out of Minter.

On Saturday, Dec. 12, however, there will be plenty of excitement in town. Margaret Fails, president of the Minter Milennium Association, and her husband George are organizing the city’s 16th annual Christmas parade.

“It’s an event that the community looks forward to each year,” Fails said.

The lineup for the parade begins at 9 a.m. and the parade is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. on Highway 4 in Minter.

Fails said that many people traveling to Minter usually take Highway 85, which is currently closed down.

Fails said she expects Highway 85 to reopen before the parade, but if it doesn’t, she said those traveling to Minter should take Highway 41 to Highway 89 in order to reach Highway 4.

Fails doesn’t live in Minter anymore, but like many others who will be at the parade, she will always call Minter her home. To Fails and many others, the parade is a homecoming. It’s a chance to reconnect with old friends and revisit a town they shared memories in.

“People come back to their community,” Fails said. “They come back home from everywhere just for that event.”

The parade will have plenty of vendors selling food and other items throughout the parade. At the end of the parade, candidates running for local office will be speaking.

In addition, the parade will be raising money to buy children toys for the holiday.

“My favorite part of the parade is giving back to the needy and to the community,” Fails said.

Last year, the parade raised roughly $300 to supply children with toys.

While Minter won’t have the biggest parade around, to those who live in Minter currently and those who have lived there in the past, the Christmas parade is a date that is circled on their calendars each year.

For a small town without a grocery store, a Christmas parade is a big deal.

“This is the biggest event of the year,” Fails said.