NATCHEZ — Bells will be jingling and carolers singing as Natchez gets a little merrier tonight when the Main Street Christmas tree lights up downtown, signaling the official beginning of Christmas in Natchez.

The tree lighting is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be accompanied by holiday music at the corner of South Commerce and Main streets.

A children’s fun fair will begin at 4 p.m. followed by the fifth-annual turkey gumbo cook-off.

The holiday events continue Sunday with a brunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and photos with Santa from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Dunleith.

Christmas in Natchez events are scheduled through the holiday season.

Ice-skating will return to the bluff this year from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14 and 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15. Tickets are $20 for one hour of skating.

The Christmas in Natchez Committee is also selling sponsorships for tickets to be donated to the Natchez Children’s Home and Pleasant Acre Day School. Anyone interested in purchasing the $200 sponsorships can contact Regina Charboneau at 601-445-0338.

Sponsorships will also make it possible, Charboneau said, for the committee to offer families three children’s skating tickets for the price of two.

The committee is also hosting a cheerleading competition for middle and high school teams during the ice-skating weekend.

For a full calendar of Christmas in Natchez events, visit christmasinnatchez.com.

The Vidalia Christmas parade hits the streets at 3 p.m. Sunday, and there is still time for holiday fans to participate.

Lineup for the parade, which is sponsored by the Vidalia Women’s Club, begins at 1 p.m. at Vidalia Upper Elementary.

The parade will begin rolling on Carter Street near the Christmas tree and proceed west toward Vidalia High School.

The Town of Ferriday Christmas parade will be at noon Dec. 7, with parade lineup from 10 to 11:15 a.m. at Ferriday High School.