Traffic on US 69 just south of the Kansas-Oklahoma border was halted on Saturday.

 The reason? The city of Picher, Oklahoma held a Christmas parade.

While many other towns held parades over the weekend, Picher is unique because the town hasn't existed since 2013. Picher is part of the Tar Creek Superfund site where run-off from lead and zinc mining in the area polluted the area's water wells and soil leaving what the Environmental Protection Agency calls one of the most toxic areas in the United States.

Former residents gathered Saturday for the 30 minute parade through the 3 blocks of downtown Picher to focus on the future instead of the past. The parade included floats from area businesses, area police and fire departments, marching bands from Quapaw High School and the NEO A &M College, and, of course, Santa Claus.