Christmas parades kick off Saturday

By Jason C. Mattox

Deck your trucks, trailers, boats, and even four-wheelers – parade season begins Saturday.

Saturday, Dec. 5, at 2 p.m. the first Christmas parade of the season will take place in Crowder. Crowder is the only daytime parade this Christmas season.

Also Saturday, The Town of Como will host its Fifth Annual Christmas in Como Event from 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. on Main Street.

The event will feature a soup and chili cook-off, carolers and other musical entertainment, and the Christmas Tree lighting in the center of town will wrap up the event.

Batesville’s annual parade is scheduled to begin winding through town at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, December 8.

Unlike last year when rain cancelled the parade except for a float viewing later in the week, the Batesville Lions Club has announced a rain date of Sunday, Dec. 13.

For the first time in years, the Sardis Christmas parade is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 9 rather than competing head-to-head with the Batesville event on Tuesday. The parade will begin at 6 p.m. that night.

“We wanted to open this up to the parade participants in Batesville, Senatobia and other neighboring communities,” Sardis Chamber of Commerce director Duffy Russell said. “People spend all that time making floats, and we would like to give them the opportunity to show them more than once.”

Russell said there will be some changes to the Sardis parade this year including no candy being thrown to the crowd and no parking along Main Street.

Russell said the hope is that restricting the parking will make crowd control easier.

Thursday, Dec. 10, the final parade in Panola County will take place when Santa Claus visits the Town of Crenshaw at 6 p.m. on East South Avenue.

Two civic groups have Christmas fund-raisers planned. The Batesville Garden Club will sponsor its Christmas Tour of Homes Sunday, Dec. 6, from 1-5 p.m. See page B1 for details.

The Heflin House Museum’s Christmas Tea and Tour of Homes is slated for Sunday, December 13.That event will be 1:30 to 5 p.m.

Tickets are $10 and may be purchased at the Heflin House Museum. Five homes are included in the tour.

For more information call 487-0238 or email rldixon205@bellsouth.net.