Santa Claus is coming to town

The town square will transform into a sea of holiday sights and sounds when the 32 annual Hayesville Christmas Parade gets underway at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14.

Sponsored by Clay County Progress, the theme for this year’s event is “Christmas Through the Eyes of a Child.”  As always the parade will feature popular children’s characters including Frosty, Rudolph, Curious George and Blues Clues, among others. At 6 p.m. Frosty and Rudolph have the honors of lighting the town’s Christmas tree in the gazebo marking the official lighting of the square.

If you wish to participate in the parade, there is no fee and there’s still time to sign up. All participants must fill out an entry form available at the newspaper office, 43 Main Street, Hayesville. Call 389-8431 and we will email or fax you a form as well. Deadline to enter the parade is 12 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13. 

The staging area for the parade will be in the Clay County schools parking lot. Participants are to enter from the Myer’s Chapel Road entrance as traffic will be flowing one-way toward the other side of campus, moving past the middle school and down the hill toward town. 

Participants who plan to enter the float competition, should arrive at Hayesville schools campus by 4 p.m. and be fully decorated, ready for judging, by 4:30 p.m. 

Those not being judged should arrive by 5 p.m. Plaques will be awarded in the following categories:

• Most Christmas spirit.

• Best themed float.

• Best faith based display.  

• Mayor’s choice for both profit and nonprofit competition.

• Best of show horse. 

• Best of show classic car.

The parade route will begin at the school campus, making its way up Jailhouse Hill, taking a right onto the square, left in front of Town Hall and left at Nichols & Nichols before taking a right at the Keep Me Posted store. It will proceed down the hill, making another right at Moss Memorial Library, en route back to the school campus via Myers Chapel Road.

Restrictions include no four-wheelers, no under-age motorcycle drivers and no Santa costumes since Santa is the parade’s grand finale. At the end of the evening, Santa and Mrs. Claus will arrive at the gazebo to pose for pictures with Santa and the children’s characters will be on hand to greet children. Personal cameras are welcome.

If weather appears to be a factor, visit the Progress’ Facebook page and listen to local radio stations for regular updates. The rain forecast for the evening is low, but if we experience a downpour, the parade will follow the same times and be rescheduled to Sunday, Dec. 15.