Christmas Around the Courthouse in Decatur
More holiday family fun is coming to Decatur this Saturday as they host Christmas Around the Courthouse from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The many free activities and events included that day are Christmas Color Hair Tinsel, Painting Gingerbread Houses, Pictures with Santa and the Grinch, Ornament Making, Cookie Decorating, a mini cake walk, and many more fun Christmas activities. There will also be Pancakes with Santa at Broad Street Treats for $10 per person, Face Painting for $5, and Horse-Drawn Buggy Rides for $10 per person.
Union Christmas Parade
It's the Town of Union’s turn to parade their yuletide spirit down Main Street, and the Union Chamber of Commerce is in the process of putting the finishing touches on the 2024 Christmas Parade, scheduled to kickoff at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 14.
According to Chamber Director Jenna Jones, the community has always been great with getting into the Christmas Spirit, with last year’s parade involving up to ninety entries, and she’s excited to see what the 2024 parade has in store.
“We’ve had a great turnout of entries thus far, and we’re going to push back our entry deadline to Dec. 13 at noon,” said Jones. “Those that are interested in joining the parade can do so by going to the Union Chamber of Commerce Facebook page, where we have an online entry form they can easily be filled out.” Those who prefer to fill out paper forms can pick one up at Astoria Clothing and Gifts, Blaze and Ribbon Boutique, The Citizens Bank, Piggly Wiggly, and The Glam Room.
Jones said that they’d love to have people spend a good part of the day in Union before the parade, where they can shop local businesses, enjoy the decorations throughout town, enjoy the offerings of food trucks that will be set up in town, and have opportunities to meet and take photos with some special guests.
“Throughout the day, Santa Claus will be available for pictures at Astoria Clothing and Gifts, while Elsa, from the Disney movie “Frozen”, will be at Blaze and Ribbon Boutique,” Jones said. “And over at Rustic Flair, the Grinch will be making his appearance on Saturday.”
Jones added that Al’s Kandy Krunch will be selling their freeze-dried candy in downtown Union on Saturday, and New Ireland Baptist Church will be handing out hot chocolate during the parade.
2024 Union Chamber of Commerce Honorees
The Union Chamber of Commerce announced their 2024 Honorees during the Union Christmas Tree Lighting on Dec. 1, and the award winners will be honored by riding in this year’s parade.
The Grand Marshal for the 2024 Parade will be Kenyon Clark. A 2021 graduate from Union High School, Clark is currently a redshirt sophomore running back for the University of Southern Miss football team, where he had a breakout season for the Golden Eagles in 2024 with 421 rushing yards and a team leading 7 rushing touchdowns. Clay is also a member of the USM Honor Society, volunteers to read to the third-grade class at East Jones Elementary School, and hosted a Back to School Giveaway here in 2023, where he donated 100 filled bookbags.
Zach Robinson was honored as the 2024 Citizen of the Year. Robinson is the Principal at Union High School, where he also used to coach. According to Jones, Robinson was chosen for the honor because goes above and beyond for his students, staff, and community. He leads with honesty, integrity, and truly desires the best for every student who walks through the doors of UHS.
Twin brothers Mike and Mark Smith were named the Lifetime Achievement Award winners for 2024, after dedicating a great part of their lives making a difference in Union. Mark recently retired after being director of Maintenance for the Union Public School District for 25 years, while Mike retired after serving as the director of Public Works for the Town of Union for 23 years.
The 2024 Veteran Honoree was awarded to Earl Davis. Davis is a Sergeant First Class with the Mississippi National Guard, where he served for 33 and a half years, including two tours in Iraq.
In addition, Davis has served Union as a fireman and first responder for 40 years.
