Blueberries were 99 cents a pint in 1993. The same was true for a quart jar of Hellman’s Mayonnaise and a pound of red delicious apples. If you are old enough to remember, I bet you think about the good ole’ days when you’re making a fruit salad today. Have you wondered what happened? Things were different 30 years ago but some things have stayed the same.

Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” was released in theaters in 1993. Some say it’s a Halloween movie while others say it’s a Christmas movie. I suppose a compromise could be made and it’s somewhere in the middle around Thanksgiving. Giving thanks for the movie is what we’ll do during the Lighter Side of Christmas Parade this year. The parade is about the “lighter side” of things. It is supposed to be fun. The theme for the 2023 parade is Woodland Park’s Nightmare Before Christmas.

Tracie Bennitt has coordinated the parade for 24 years. Now, the Nonprofit Cooperative of Teller County has jumped on board. This means Tracie has more time on her hands. She’s accepted the role of Grand Marshal but only agreed if she could pick the theme for the parade. The two nonprofit beneficiaries this year, the Rotary Club of Pikes Peak and the Divide Mountain Explorers, agreed it was the right thing to do. For 2023, Tracie is Grand Marshal and the theme is Halloween-ee, Christmas-ee and full of Thanksgiving!

Tracie has been involved in planning activities in Teller County since she moved here thirty-four years ago. Besides saving the parade in 1999, she coordinated the first Cripple Creek Ice Fest in 2000. She has supported local through the Colorado Festival of World Theater, as a soccer coach and dance mom. Tracie is a writer, graphic designer and owns a print business. She is a board member for AAPS (Association of Applied Paleontological Sciences) and has also served as president for the group. She and her husband John have always owned businesses in the community. Dinosaur Brokers, heirloom tomato grower and Paleobond are three of them now.

“The Nightmare Before Christmas” is our parade theme as the movie returns to some theaters this fall. ABC will also air the film on Oct. 22 at 6 p.m. The Disney channel plans to stream the movie on two different dates, Oct. 28 and Dec. 11. Woodland Park has the perfect parade theme and grand marshal to honor this film’s 30th anniversary and its beloved history.

To learn more about this year’s parade, check out lightersideofchristmas.com

If you’d like to be involved, call 719-888-9763 or email lightersideofchristmas@gmail.com

Gayle Gross works with nonprofits through SOAR’s Nonprofit Cooperative of Teller County, which meets on the second Tuesday of each month, 9:30 a.m. at Reserve Our Gallery in Woodland Park. 2023 brings back collaborative fundraising events for nonprofits in the area through coordination of community events with SOAR. Contact Gayle Gross at iwantto@soarwithnetworkfundraising.org to be part of a Teller Give Back column. You can also email or call 719-233-9902 to learn more Collaborative Fundraising Events.

Gayle Gross