2017 Lisbon Christmas Parade – The Small Town Community Parade Feeds the Hungry

By Alice Settle-Raskin

Everybody Loves a Parade!

​The Great Lisbon FARMERS FEED THE HUNGRY Christmas Parade, led by festively- decorated tractors followed by 250 seasonally-adorned saddle and carriage horses, kicks off on Sat., Dec. 9 at 12:00 noon!
​Presented by the Howard County Farm Bureau, it’s a day that promises holiday fun for everyone!

What started as way to put the historic town of Lisbon (a town tucked in the far corner of Howard County, Maryland’s rural west) back on the map is now an annual holiday tradition and one of the most attended small town Christmas parades in the state. It is also when the local equine and agricultural communities gather to take part in one of Maryland’s biggest fundraisers to feed the hungry.

Keeping Community Spirit Alive!

The parade highlights the true meaning of community – the spirit of people from all walks of life who gather to give to those in need. Thousands of people will come together on Dec. 9 to take part in and/or watch the parade along the 1-mile swath the historic national road to enjoy watching beautiful horses and tractors (with lots of horse power) stroll down Frederick Road, Lisbon’s “Main Street.”

Now in its seventh year, the parade has brought in well over $50,000 in donations to the local food banks – Howard County Food Bank and Carroll County Food Sunday – plus Farmers and Hunters Feed the Hungry and the Lisbon Volunteer Fire Company (which is conducting a fundraising campaign to build a new facility to be completed in 2019).

Fundraising to Feed the Hungry

More than $13,000 was raised at the 2016 Lisbon Christmas Parade through the generous support of parade participants, and sponsors and spectators! These funds were presented to the beneficiaries at the April 13 Howard County Farm Bureau’s Annual Legislative Dinner. Both food banks received $5,000, while $1,500 was presented to both LVFC and FHFH. In addition, thanks to community support, over 800 pounds of non-perishable food was collected at the 2016 parade and was split between the Howard County Food Bank and Carroll County Food Sunday.

​Getting Involved

There are several ways to participate in the parade; from entering horses and tractors into the parade to being a vendor at the Christmas Village on the grounds of the future LVFC facility, to funding the parade as a sponsor, hero or helper. As a spectator, you can also contribute to the food drive that will accompany the parade.

Things to Note for the 2017 Parade! The parade begins at 12:00 noon. Arrive early to secure parking and the best spot along the parade route. Route 144 and nearby roads along the parade
route will be closed at 11:30. The Lisbon Christmas Village – open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. presents a great opportunity to find holiday gifts for your friends and loved ones, and is where you’ll find pony rides, music and more! And, you won’t go hungry if you remember to eat at the Lisbon Volunteer Fire Company’s Chicken and Ham Dinner starting after the parade at 1:00 p.m. at the Lisbon Fire Hall.

To learn more about contributing and what’s planned for this year’s parade, visit www.LisbonChristmasParade.com

Maryland and Local Hunger Facts
(2015 stats)

Did you know?
In Maryland, 760,000 people were reported to be food-insecure.
-1 in 8 Marylanders were food insecure.
-Marylanders missed more than 134,000 meals annually.
-Maryland Food Banks can provide 3 meals for every $1 contribution.
-Carroll County Food Sunday served 17,944 families (45,431 people) 315,257 pounds of food; funds raised through the Lisbon Christmas Parade feed the food insecure for 1 week and has been the second largest monetary donation each year.
-Howard County Food Bank served over 27,500 people 640,000 pounds of food through the Howard County Food Bank and its emergency pantries.
-Maryland’s farmers and hunters donated 2,646 deer which provided 104,840 pounds of venison, enough for 419,360 servings according to Maryland Farmers and Hunters Feed the Hungry. 

Locals go hungry every day of the year. Remember to support your local food banks.

​Learn more how to alleviate hunger at www.mdfoodbank.org.

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