There was a traffic jam in Pickens Saturday night.

Yes, it is amazing, but true. And it says something good about the community.

The traffic jam was the flood of people leaving the Pickens Christmas Parade Saturday between 7:30 and 8 p.m.

That many cars moving along Pickens streets is a rarity. It does happen of course at other times. That concentration of folks seems to come only at community events such as the parade. People in Pickens love their community events.

The parade, of course was a cross section of the community, so the thousands who lined Main Street were there to see their sons, daughters, grandchildren, parents, friends and neighbors.

They were there to see friends from their Sunday school class at First Baptist Church and the congregation at the Freedom Biker Church.

They were there to watch the dancers from La Dance Studio, Spotlight Dance Company and Hotfoot Cloggers.

They came out to see the Cub Scouts.

They came in support of the Army ROTC unit at Pickens High School., the 15U Soccer team from the Pickens Recreation Department and a variety of politicians from the General Assembly, town hall. They came and applauded long-time Sheriff David Stone in what is likely one of his final public events of his law enforcement career.

We all applauded fire fighters and police officers and National Guard personnel who help keep us safe.

Pickens events and the things that attract the biggest crowds are those that are about Pickens friends and neighbors.

My wife, Nancy, and I parked in the lot catty corner from Corner Drug Store, and we walked up to the corner of Ann and Main streets facing north toward the high school.

We chatted with the father of an ROTC student. Nancy loaned a little boy named Jacob a bag to collect his candy.

The air was chilly, so when Santa came and went, we all streamed back to our cars for some warmth. We escaped to homes or the next Christmas party, or dinner, waiting to back out of parking places in places rarely crowded. We dodged one another getting out into the street, and I had to smile, thinking that I was actually witnessing a traffic jam in Pickens.

If you have to have one, a Christmas Parade is a good reason.