by Catharine Barone
With the many festivals and parades that Lexington County hosts each year, chances are that you have seen a parade float designed by Mr. A.D. “Sonny” Kirby and his longtime friend, Diane Jeffcoat. A childhood passion for design and ingenuity has enabled Kirby to create original exhibits from scratch, making his work truly one of a kind. He had previously worked for a parade float company and decided to continue the business once that company was no longer in operation. “Our business was built out of pocket,” Kirby explains, “we do everything ourselves from start to finish.”
Parades, festivals, and fairs not only generate interest and attract visitors to Lexington County, but they also support our local economy. Residents and visitors spend a considerable amount of money at nearby restaurants, hotels, and stores when attending celebratory events. Everyone squeezes together for the best possible view of the event, and no one wants to be left out of the fanfare as they stretch their necks to see which organization or float is next in the procession. As Kirby agrees, there is much more than meets the eye when gazing upon the extravagant hovering platforms adorned with flower-covered arches, streamers, balloons, ribbons, and brilliant banners. If you look closely with intent, you will realize that some floats signify historical accounts, some provide public awareness, some are solely for advertising purposes, and yet others are designed simply for viewing pleasure and entertainment.
Most people have no idea of the amount of time, labor, talent, and materials required to design a float that will capture the attention of an enthusiastic crowd, motivate spectators to interact, and create a lasting, positive impression. Those positive visual impacts often lead to powerful connections and resources for community support and fellowship. Every immaculately decorated platform made by Kirby Parade Floats is built in Lexington; the company has been in business for over 23 years. They design, create, update, and rent floats, giving each a fresh, distinguished personal touch. As for his craftsmanship in designing and building the floats, Jeffcoat sees Kirby as a “creative genius.” She prides herself in decorating, “God gave me a talent and I am able to help Kirby’s designs come to life with vibrant color and decoration.” Kirby Parade Floats specializes in specific requests, especially when preparing seasonal themes for festivals or traditional holidays. Each order gets immediate, individual attention–the foundational design and completion may take a couple of weeks, but the process is started as soon as an order is received. Although Kirby is a Lexington native, his expertise stretches across several states: Georgia, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida. As you can imagine, streamlining, maintaining, and managing a schedule of each state’s signature events and guaranteeing punctual delivery can be quite overwhelming. Lexington County loves to celebrate our rich history and heritage; Kirby Parade Floats accommodates the Gilbert Peach Festival, Batesburg Leesville Poultry Festival, and the Town’s famous Christmas parade, to name a few. “There is something all the time, there is no such thing as time off in our business,” Kirby chuckles. His parade floats have even landed on network television in the popular drama “The Vampire Diaries” during one of the scenes at Mystic Falls’ homecoming parade. He has also worked closely with the University of South Carolina Gamecocks to celebrate the National Championship victories of the women’s basketball team with his amazing floats.
“We love helping create memories for the families in this wonderful town,” Kirby states. “The reward for our work is seeing the smiles on kids’ faces as they see our parade floats pass by.” Kirby and Jeffcoat are passionate about keeping their beloved hometown of Lexington lively and relevant with many exciting events, parades, and festivals. They view their business as an opportunity to invest in the community and do their part to help keep Lexington County thriving. Being a Navy Veteran who served in the Cuban Crisis around 1961, Kirby strives to celebrate and give back to our soldiers. His heart and passion is to build and decorate floats that commemorate the many sacrifices of his fellow soldiers and veterans, and he offers a military discount.
Some people may think Kirby is ready to retire; he says that is not an option to be considered. “I have lived a full and exciting life,” Kirby laughs. “In 86 years, you do a lot of things, and creating these floats has been one of my favorites.” He and Jeffcoat are in it for the long haul. She explains, “We are going to serve our community with the parade floats until the good Lord calls us home. We love the people here, and we want to continue to put smiles on their faces.”
This holiday season is the perfect time to start (or continue) traditions that will be passed from generation to generation. Parades are a significant part of our heritage––there is nothing that can compare to feeling the vibration of drums from a local high school band in your chest, catching free trinkets and souvenirs, cheering on your favorite mascots and dignitaries, and dancing with float and street performers. As you and your loved ones enjoy the Town’s Snowball Festival and Christmas Parade on Sunday, December 8th, take a few extra moments to appreciate the artistic ability, innovation, and precision required to reflect each float’s unique and timely message.
Kirby Parade Floats 783 Muddy Springs Rd. Lexington, SC 29073
KirbyParadeFloats.com
