Lights in Liberty Lighted Parade

2025 Parade Marshall

Mary Jane Ripkowski

Our 2025 GRAND MARSHALL

Leading our Lights in Liberty Lighted Christmas Parade this year is Mary Jane Hartel Ripkowski, known to most as Mrs. Rip.

Mrs. Rip’s childhood home is a block away from city square, and 98 years later, she lives next door in the same block!

Mrs. Rip taught in Liberty ISD for 40 years. Her vast teaching assignments ranged from PE to volleyball coach, track coach, special education, driver’s ed, and homecoming sponsor, but her most beloved title was being Liberty High School Prancer sponsor. After she “retired,” she substituted for the law enforcement classes. Mrs. Rip still attends many Liberty sporting events and enjoys watching her great-grandchildren in their various activities. No one loves living in Liberty, Texas, more than Mrs. Rip!

To the 2025 Parade Committee…

Y’ALL ARE BUILT DIFFERENT.

If you’ve never worked a parade, you have probably have zero clue what 1.5 hours of pure, beautiful chaos looks like. Nearly 70 entries. Controlled madness. Crowd control on expert mode.

And somehow y'all keep it safe, smooth, and on schedule like absolute pros. Every single one of my parades works because of YOU. Period. End of story.

THANK YOU!!

From left to right: Carson Leonard Meredith McNair Leonard Gail Parker Gatewood Julie Martin Jensen Sherry Redfearn DuBose Heather Frazier Farrah Harper Morgan Monett and Parade Committee Chair, Jennifer Regen

not pictured|: Jennifer Sims

And the voice of the Lights in Liberty LIGHTED Parade was none other than Leslie Ann Lawrence (also not pictured)

Being the announcer is not just “reading names.” It’s writing the script, tracking down all the right info, keeping every entry straight, and then standing on that stage praying with your whole soul that nobody’s baby’s name gets skipped or mispronounced. It’s pressure.

It’s timing. It’s performance. And the rest of us are extremely grateful we don’t have to do that job.

Thank you, Leslie, for absolutely nailing it and keeping the magic flowing all night long.