If you aren’t in the holiday spirit yet, you have plenty of opportunities this weekend &045;&045; starting this afternoon.

The massive Christmas tree in its traditional place in the middle of a downtown Natchez intersection will be lighted just after 5:30 today &045;&045; but activities surrounding the event, which include refreshments and entertainment, begin at 4:30.

This year the tree will have new lights &045;&045; 1,000 of them &045;&045; which were paid for through a fund created by First Natchez Radio and the Natchez Kiwanis Club. We can’t wait to see how pretty it looks.

At 10 Saturday morning, Ferriday will welcome the holidays with its annual Christmas parade through downtown.

And if that isn’t enough, several of the floats will be back on Sunday for Vidalia’s Christmas parade, which begins at 3 p.m.

Before Vidalia’s parade, residents will honor the members of the 1086th Transportation Company of the Louisiana National Guard, home just more than a week from their service in Iraq. The event fits Vidalia’s Christmas parade theme &045;&045; &uot;I’ll Be Home for Christmas&uot; &045;&045; perfectly.

To end the weekend, you can enjoy a free performance of Handel’s beautiful &uot;Messiah&uot; at 7 p.m. at St. Mary Basilica. The event is a joint production of Alcorn State University’s choir and the Natchez Festival of Music.

We’re looking forward to all of the festivities &045;&045; and all of us have an invitation.