Daisy Divver fluffs Santa's beard in the Palominas Fire Department garage as they prepare to participate in Saturday's Palominas Holiday Parade. (Mark Levy-Herald/Review)

BY DAVID RUPKALVIS

Herald/Review

PALOMINAS -- This small community joined in the holiday celebration with the Palominas Holiday Parade Saturday down Palominas Road.

Hundreds of area residents braved cold, overcast and windy weather to watch or participate in the parade. Many of the people watched from inside their parked cars as they tried to stay warm.

Like most area parades, the children lining the street came away with pocketfuls of candy, but they also were rewarded with entrants throwing stuffed animals and even money.

Matt and Tiffany Maxey came to the parade to watch for the first time because their sisters were riding in the event. Six-year-old Matt said he liked getting a small, stuffed dog the best.

"I also liked the candy," said Matt, who also took great joy in petting some of the dogs walking in the event.

Tiffany was celebrating her fourth birthday at the parade and she said her favorite part was "Claire and Anna," her sisters who were riding horses.

Befitting a parade from a community made up of ranchers and other people who the lifestyle offered by large parcels of land, the parade was heavy in horses, both large and small and people walking with their dogs.

The participants stopped frequently to say hello to friends and even let the children watching the parade pet the dogs and horses.

The Palominas Fire Department led and finished the parade. Right behind the first fire truck were vehicles from the Arizona Department of Public Safety and Cochise County Sheriff's Office. County Sheriff Larry Dever also rode his horse in the parade.

The Palominas School District had its marching band in the parade as well as a bus full of children throwing candy and quarters to the crowd.

The parade also had a few unique entries, including a carriage pulled by a donkey and an entry with four people dressed up in Civil War clothes and a Civil War era cannon.

Santa Claus also made a stop in Palominas to take part in the festivities, sitting on an entry surrounded by happy children.

Phil Maxey has lived in Palominas for 20 years, but came to watch the parade with his children for the first time.