Thanksgiving is over, and it is starting to look a lot like Christmas around Simpson County. Main Streets of Mendenhall and Magee will be decorated with reindeer, candy canes, and trumpet sounding angels.
The Magee Christmas Parade will be held on Thursday, December 1. The theme will be “A Hometown Christmas.” The event is sponsored annually by the Magee Chamber of Commerce. The parade will feature floats, marching units and other attractins. The parade will begin at 6 p.m. and line up starts at 5 p.m. Contact the Magee Chamber of Commerce at 601-849-2517 for more information.
The Mendenhall Area Chamber of Commerce will host “A Merry Mendenhall Christmas” the next nighr, December 2, from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. on Main Street. Great sales will be going on downtown, and everyone is encouraged to shop locally. This event will also feature Christmas music in Alice Davis Park, horse and buggy rides, hot chocolate, popcorn, and a special appearance from Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus. The Grinch may also be lurking in the park, so look out! Everyone is invited to join the fun and start their Christmas shopping with local merchants.
The annual Mendenhall Christmas Parade sponsored by the Mendenhall Area Chamber of Commerce will be held December 5 at 6 p.m. A large line up of floats, marching bands, and entertainment has been planned. This year’s theme will be “Songs of Christmas.” Participants will deck their floats out with visuals from their favorite Christmas songs. The Mendenhall Chamber invites everyone to come out and enjoy the parade. For more information contact them at 601-847-1725.
The Harrisville Christmas Parade will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, December 3. You’ll just have time to get to Braxton, where their Christmas parade begins Saturday at 1:30 p.m. The town of Braxton will also host “Lights of Love” on Sunday, December 4 at 3 p.m. in the Community Center.
End the day with D’Lo’ an Christmas parade on Saturday, December 3, beginning at 4 p.m.
The Mendenhall Public Library will host several events throughout the month of December. Santa Claus will make an early appearance in Simpson County and greet children in the Mendenhall Civic Center on December 7. He will be available for pictures beginning at 4 p.m. On December 2 the library will host their annual Holiday Blood Drive, and everyone is encouraged to donate. For more information on any of the library’s upcoming events contact the Mendenhall Library at 601-847-2181.
The Magee Public Library will also have festive events this holiday season including a come and go Christmas crafting station available on December 6 at 2:00 p.m. Santa will be visiting the Magee library on December 8 and will be available for pictures beginning at 5:00p.m. The Magee Library will also offer Christmas Bingo on December 9, at 4:00 p.m.
The Marine Corps Toys for Tots campaign will assist families in Simpson County once again this holiday season. Deonka Mazie, Toys for Tots local area coordinator explained that over 21,000 children in MS come from families who are considered low income or receive some form of aid. Toys for Tots mission is to ensure that every child receives gifts for Christmas. Toys for Tots will provide gifts for children up to 17 years of age.
The Simpson County gift distribution date is December 8, and will be held at the National Guard Armory in Mendenhall located at 1122 Park Street. Children are not required to be present for pick up. However parents must have a control number to pick up gifts. The electronic deadline to register will end on December 3, and families can still register with local contacts. For more information contact Latasha Millis 601-847-1212, Gloria Smith 601-466-1023, or Deonka Boozier Mazie at 601-863-9763. They can also be reached by email at hazlehurt.ms@toysfortots.org. If you are having trouble accessing the website, contact the above representatives and an application can be filled out over the phone.
Individuals interested in donating gifts will have several locations available for drop offs. Only new unopened gifts will be accepted. Drop off locations for Magee include Cricket Wireless, Liberty Tax, and Magee Elementary. Drop off locations for Mendenhall include Mendenhall Police Department, Mendenhall Fire Department, Mendenhall City Hall, McGuffee’s Drugs, and the Mendenhall Chamber Office.
