We hope you and your family are planning a special time together for the Thanksgiving holiday.

As many of you know, the Christmas season in Natchez starts immediately afterwards as the shops are already decorating and preparing for upcoming gift-giving time of the year.

The first official event — the Lighting of the Tree and Gumbo cook-off is Saturday with a North Pole Playland included. Santa Claus makes his grand entrance at 3:45 p.m. Saturday and we still have a spot for your team if you want to enter the cook-off. To cap off this great event, the Lighting of the tree is at 7 p.m. Saturday with a fantastic pyrotechnic show.

For the next event, we will need your help.

To continue one of our Christmas traditions, the annual Christmas Parade will be 5:30 p.m. Dec. 1. This year’s theme is “Light the Way,” and we are asking that you join other groups in this community and enter a float.

Church, school, and other organizations are encouraged to participate. For applications please stop by the Natchez Adams County Chamber of Commerce at 211 Main Street, or sign-up at Christmasinnatchez.com.

This year the parade is the reverse of past parades, and you will enter the lineup area off Madison Street on to Broadway.

All floats will line up in the section of Broadway between Madison and Franklin. The parade will begin as entries travel up Franklin Street, turn right onto Union, down Main, left on Canal in front of Fat Mama’s , right in front of Rosalie and back down Broadway to the Natchez Grand.

We have several bands secured, and you don’t want to miss the Elves on the Shelf as they make their appearance this year.

Grand Marshal is Taco Bell, and the newly named Natchezians of the year, Dave (Rosco) Kimbro and Renee Cantu, who along with Natchez Mayor Darryl Grennell will lead the parade.

The Holiday season can be very magical in Natchez bringing people together and creating beautiful memories. Please check out all the great events we have at www.visitnatchez.org.

The Christmas Parade needs to be an event that we all anticipate and that represents our entire community. Your participation and help will be greatly appreciated.

Patricia Lozon is co-chair of Christmas in Natchez.