The Columbus Christmas Parade is going to have a younger feel this year.
Jasmine Murray, the reigning Miss Mississippi and Columbus native, will serve as the parade’s grand marshal. Main Street executive director Barbara Bigelow is thrilled to have Murray on board with the parade, which Main Street has organized since 2007 when it took over the annual event.
Last year, the attraction was Clydesdale horses.
This year, the attraction is more attractive.
This is the first year that the Columbus Young Professionals will chair the Christmas parade committee. Bigelow hopes they will continue to host the event in the future.
The parade will be held on Dec. 13, and will follow the same route as the parades of the past. Bigelow said there will be some changes to the parade to make it capture the hearts and minds of the community. Those changes, she said, will be revealed closer to the parade date.
“I’m from Columbus, so I’m sure there have been many times that I’ve been able to go and watch it,” Murray said. “So, it’s crazy that I’ll actually be in it, and be a big part of it.”
Being the centerpoint of a parade will be a first for the pageant winner. She was surprised to receive the honor.
“It means a lot to me, because I’m from Columbus,” Murray said. “This is my hometown and I know so many people here. I just have appreciated the support and the encouragement over the years that I’ve competed in the pageants, that I’ve competed in American Idol — all these different things. So, it’s amazing to see that support continue to flow in, and that’s why I really love Columbus.”
Murray has taken the year off from her studies at Mississippi State University to serve as Miss Mississippi. She said she is learning a lot even outside the classroom. She’s also helped fund her education by winning scholarship money at the Miss America competition.
“It’s going to definitely help me continue my education, and that’s what I’m very excited about,” said Murray, who is studying broadcasting at MSU.
It is not her first time taking a break from school to step into the spotlight–Murray left for Nashville to pursue music for a year following high school. Despite her experience in the spotlight, grand marshaling a parade will be a new role for Murray, and a new dynamic for working on her pageant wave. Although she currently lives in Starkville, Murray is delighted to have an opportunity to contribute to the traditional celebration in her hometown.
“Wherever you grow up is always going to be special to you, because you have roots there,” Murray said. “You pretty much know everyone in the town and in the city, and it’s home. I think that’s the special thing is when you can call this place home and you can come back and see familiar faces.”
As grand marshal at the Christmas parade, Murray is sure to see lots of familiar faces while she rides down Main Street.
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