Aiken Christmas Traditions

When we heard about this tradition - we knew we had to share! We all love a small town Christmas parade, but If you are an equestrian lover - have we got the parade for you!

The parade for 2024 has just been announced, so make your plans to join this equestrian take on the Christmas parade.

Article by Gayle Bryan | Photography by AP Gouge Photography

Originally published in Aiken City Lifestyle, December 2023

There is no denying that Aiken is a horse town. There are world-class equestrian events to be enjoyed year-round, but possibly none more eagerly anticipated than the Annual Hoofbeats & Christmas Carols Parade. Every December, hundreds of horses, riders, carriage drivers, and dog walkers bring the magic of Christmas to downtown Aiken.

The parade was born out of a former riding group known as The Mock Hunt. Samantha Spitler, developer of Hatchaway Bridge Farms, was inspired by realtor, Billy Bennett, to create a way to show off the property by getting riders out on trails without the formality of a traditional fox hunt. The Mock Hunt soon became a Wednesday tradition with riders of all disciplines exploring fabulous Aiken trails, followed by a potluck feast. As Christmas neared, Sam decided caroling on horseback was in order and the parade was born. “When we first started, we could never get anybody to come out and see us so we could carol to them. We were thrilled when somebody’s dogs came running out so we could sing to them!”

The next year, Mock Hunt rider, Trish Leslie, approached Sam with the idea of moving the parade downtown to spread holiday cheer on horseback through the streets of Aiken. They organized with the Aiken Department of Public Safety and the parade began to grow. The first couple of years, a Wednesday afternoon parade often had more horses than spectators. After some trial and error with dates and time of day, they landed at midday on a December Saturday, and the crowds and participation have grown each year. For over a decade, Sam, Trish and fellow rider, Linda Murphy, have organized the Hoofbeats & Christmas Carols Parade. It is one of the most looked forward to holiday events in Aiken, not only for locals, but for participants and spectators coming from up and down the East Coast. The 2021 Parade had over 300 horses and 100 dogs. As you can see from the photos, the participants go all out in outfitting themselves, the horses, and dogs in Christmas finery.

The first year downtown brought some challenges–manure! Sam recounts her husband, Jerry Spitler, being mortified by the horses doing their business on downtown sidewalks. From that mortification, Jerry and Dan Murphy put their heads together, and PEPSA (Professional Elf Pooper Scoopers of America) was born! PEPSA is made up of the 70-plus-year-old husbands of some of the riders. They have embraced the poop challenge with gusto, dressing as elves, decorating their shovels and performing with kazoos during the parade. And not just anyone is admitted to the “PEPSA Union”. There are standards!

The quality of the caroling has improved since the early years of singing to the dogs. Sam recruited lifelong friend Kendall Standish, a New York Cabaret singer, to help elevate the music. This year, the organizers have added multiple choral groups headed up by Keely Rhodes. They have also partnered with Beasley Broadcasting’s new Aiken station, Sunny 102.7, to broadcast two hours of uninterrupted Christmas carols during the parade. They will have speakers along the parade route, and are asking downtown merchants to tune in as well to fill downtown with the music of Christmas.

(article edited to omit dates for 2023)