Celebrate Christmas in the country

Pike County can celebrate as a community this Christmas as several events are planned for citizens to enjoy the spirit of the holiday. LIGHTING OF CONCORDFestivities in Concord will bring smiles to the faces of visitors from near and far during the Lighting of Concord on Friday, Dec. 2. Festivities will begin with supper at Concord Cafe and there will be shopping opportunities in the Christmas Bazaar as everyone awaits the arrival of Santa Claus who will arrive via helicopter at 6 p.m. A photographer will be on site in the Strickland Building as children visit with Santa. Everyone can join in with popular Christmas carols as they await the lighting of the main Christmas tree in downtown Concord. Hay rides around Concord will also be offered during the Christmas event. CHRISTMAS IN THE PARKThe city of Zebulon will host Christmas in the Park at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3 at the recently renovated Zebulon City Park. ’Come join us for a festive evening of local vendors sharing their culinary delights and other goodies, the singing of Christmas carols, the lighting of the city park tree and, of course, a visit from Santa Claus,’ said city administrator Larry Mitcham. ‘This will be a wonderful opportunity to kick off the holiday season with your family and friends and we hope to see you there!’MOLENA CHRISTMAS The city of Molena wll host a Community Christmas Celebration starting at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9, including caroling, cookies, hot chocolate and a visit from Santa. The event will be held in downtown Molena and visitors are encouraged to bring their cameras for pictures with Santa. CHRISTMAS PARADE AND FESTIVALThe third annual Pike County Christmas Parade and Festival will be held Sunday, Dec. 11 with the parade beginning at 3 p.m. There will be food, vendors and entertainment at the square before and after the parade. The parade’s grand marshal will be Meghan Gregg who started playing softball at the Pike recreation department and who now plays for the University of Tennessee. ’We are proud to have Meghan Gregg join us as the grand marshall and we are looking forward to a great turnout,’ said county manager John Hanson. For those who are interested in being a vendor or participating in the parade, applications are available to be picked up at the commissioners office or by email at pikecountyparade@gmail.com. Deadlines for vendor applications are Nov. 30 with a Dec. 2 deadline for those in the parade. For more information, call 770-567-3406.