December 1 ushers in the beginning of the Christmas season, and area chambers of commerce and other organizations have scheduled a number of fun, yuletide events to kick off the most wonderful, and busiest, time of year. From shopping to parades, there are a number of upcoming festive events that are sure to fill you with Christmas spirit. The following is a schedule of events in the Newton County area.
Decatur
Ongoing right now in Decatur is the Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce’s initiative to get the community to shop local and earn “Decatur Dollars”. Shoppers who make purchases at any of the businesses in town that are chamber members will earn a ticket for every $10 they spend. Those tickets will be entered into drawings for multiple prizes. The prize winners will be announced after the Christmas Parade on Dec. 5 in front of the courthouse. The chamber invites you to shop local on Nov. 28 for Black Friday, and Nov. 29 for Small Business Saturday.
Decatur’s Annual Christmas Parade and Christmas Tree Lighting will begin at 6 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 5, with the tree lighting occurring at the courthouse and the parade route running along Broad Street. The deadline to enter the parade is Dec. 3, and the entry fee is one bag of candy for Santa’s float. If you would like to enter the Christmas parade, visit the Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce Facebook page and click on the parade entry link. Prizes will be awarded for the best floats.
This year’s Christmas Around the Courthouse, scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 13, will be a little different this year, as it makes a move to the evening hours of 4-7 p.m. According to chamber director Sonya Smith, the board chose to move the event to the evening to make it a more “magical” event.
“We’ve talked about doing it for a couple of years now, because during the day the lights are not as visible,” said Smith. “And last year we held our ‘Polar Express’ event in the evening it felt so much more “Christmassy”. We’re really excited to see how it turns out.”
The Decatur Woman’s Progressive Club invites all business and residents within the Decatur city limits to get into the Christmas spirit and enter the Decatur Christmas Decorating Competition. Judging will take place from Dec. 10-12, with the winners announced on Dec. 14. There are two categories being judges, Business and Residential, and the top three of each category will win cash prizes.
Union
The Union Chamber of Commerce will kick off the Christmas season on Sunday, Nov. 30, with Union’s Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at the mini park in Downtown Union beginning at 4:30 p.m. In addition to the lighting of the town tree, Mandy Feasel will be reading The Christmas Story, a Live Nativity from New Ireland Baptist Church, and the presentation of the Christmas Parade Grand Marshal, Citizen of the Year, Veteran Honoree, and Lifetime Achievement Award. The event will also present performances by local talent, including the Union Grove Baptist Church Choir, Cornerstone Quartet, Stanley and Remolar Amos, the ECCC Centralattes, and the First Baptist Church Choir. The T & J Concessions food truck will set up for this event.
The Union “Twinkling Lights, Timeless Nights” Christmas Parade is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 6, beginning at 6 pm. Deadline to enter the parade is Dec. 1. There are three entry categories: Religious, Business, and Civic, and the top three floats in each category will be recognized. For questions or to get an entry form, contact Lynn Townsend at 601-741-2864. Entry forms can also be returned to Toads and Tutus Early Learning Center, Blaze and Ribbons Children’s Boutique, Robinson Family Dental, or The Glam Room.
There will be several food offerings at the Christmas parade, including The Local Sip, who will be selling hot chocolate, iced coffee, lattes, and sweets, and the following food trucks: It’s a Wrap Roll’n Café, PuckerFaceDurtyScoopz, and Steaks at the Pig.
Hickory
The Hickory Christmas parade is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 6, at 2 p.m. There are no entry fees for those who would like to participate.
Lake
The Lake Christmas Parade is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 6, with festivities beginning at 3:30 p.m. and the parade beginning at 4:30 p.m. There will be food trucks, local entertainment at the downtown stage, and pictures with Santa after the parade. If you would like to enter the parade, visit the Lake Fest Facebook page and request to join the parade by commenting under the parade post or messaging a Lake Fest committee member through messenger.
The emcee for this year’s parade is musician Chris Anderson, who will also share his talents on the downtown stage.
Other parade day holiday fun includes Lake Public Library hosting a snow globe making class along with a special guest, and First Baptist Church Lake showing a movie following the parade
Newton
The Newton Chamber of Commerce has begun the Christmas season with its Salvation Army Angel Tree Program, where they encourage the community to give back to local children in need. This year’s Angel Tree Program at the Newton Chamber began with 25 local angels, and at the time of print, there are under 10 remaining to be adopted. If you would like to adopt an angel, visit chamber director Ashley Massey at the Newton Depot in Downtown Newton to pick and angel from the tree and receive their wish list. Angel gifts are due to be dropped off at the Newton Depot by Dec. 12, so they can be distributed to the children before Christmas. For more information, contact the Chamber office at 601-683-2201.
The first Christmas in Newton holiday event will be the Christmas Tree Lighting on Tuesday, Dec. 2, beginning at 6:45 p.m., followed immediately by “A Great Small Town” Christmas Celebration at Ray Payne Park in Downtown Newton. Scheduled to entertain at the Christmas celebration are The Collegians from East Central Community College, and a few other local talents. The celebration will include a hot chocolate station and several fun activities for kids and families.
The Newton Christmas Parade will take place on Thursday, Dec. 4, beginning at 6 p.m. Same route as last year, but this year attendees will be allowed to park along the parade route through downtown. The theme for this year’s parade is “Rocking Around a Great Small Town”, and parade entrants are asked to decorate their float using their favorite Christmas song. Entry deadline is Friday, Nov. 28. If you would like to take part, pick up an application at the Newton Chamber office or call them at 601-683-2201. You can enter online by visiting the Newton Chamber of Commerce Facebook page and clicking the registration link. Trophies will be awarded to 1st-3rd place entries.
In an effort to promote shopping local businesses, the chamber will hold their shop local initiative from Dec. 1-16. Each day will highlight a chamber business of the day, who will offer different promotions for shoppers.
Returning for its second year will be the Tour of Trees at the McElroy-Hoye House on Saturday, Dec. 6, at 5 p.m., where you are invited to celebrate the season with a self-guided tour of numerous sparkling trees and displays, decorated by local businesses, schools, organizations, and individuals. If you would like to decorate a tree, need more information, or to request a tour of the trees at another time, contact Ashley Massey at the Newton Chamber at 601-683-2201.
And capping the two weeks of Christmas fun on Sunday, Dec. 7, the Newton Theatre Company will host their Annual Christmas at The Roxy. The show, highlighting local talent as they perform Christmas favorites, will begin at 2 p.m. at the Roxy Theatre. Admission is free, and those attending have the option of bringing one or more canned food items to be donated to the Hickory Food Pantry.
