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NATCHEZ — Natchez better watch out on Christmas Eve because Santa Claus will be riding through town once again.

A trademark of Christmas in Natchez is an odd yet magical celebration on Christmas Eve when a committee of businessmen parade through Natchez neighborhoods — throwing candy and stopping for meals and a gift giveaway for children in need before having a Christmas party finale at Santa’s house.

David Hawkins, the 2020-2021 Santa, will be the first of the Santas to do the honor of passing out toys for two years in a row at the Braden School. This is because the annual Santa Claus parade had been canceled last year due to the COVID-19.

This year Santa will be riding in the Rudolf position once again, allowing Hawkins to have the opportunity to participate in the parade and host the private Santa Claus Committee Christmas party after the festivities.

Below is the schedule of events for Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 2021.

• 7:30 a.m. parade participants meet at the Natchez Grand Hotel, 111 Broadway St.
• 8 a.m. leave the Grand Hotel to pick up Santa at the home of David and Marjorie Hawkins, 1 Conner Circle. Turn right on Franklin Street, right on Melrose, left on Linden Drive to Conner Circle.
• 8:25 a.m. The parade begins.
• Roselawn Subdivision: Turn right on North Circle across Roselawn to South Circle, right on Roselawn, left on Miller Ave onto Itasca Drive, loop around across Roselawn onto Miller Avenue, exit on Wood Ave, turn left on Shields Lane across Liberty Road.
• Oakhurst Subdivision: From Old Pond Road turn left on Oakhurst Drive, loop around back to a right onto Old Pond Road then turn left on Liberty Road.
• Eastbrook Subdivision and Westover Subdivision: Right on Margaret Avenue then stay straight, loop around then turn left on Lindberg Avenue, right on Earhart, left on John Glenn, then right on Eastbrook.
• Fatherland Subdivision and Montebello Subdivision: Left on South Shields Lane, left on Ridgewood Road, loop around then turn right on Englewood, left on Westwood, left on Edgewood. left on Eastwood, right on Creek Bend, right on Arrowhead, right on Melrose-Montebello Drive, drive across Seargent Prentiss Drive onto Melrose, left on Quitman to Main Street, right on Martin Luther King Jr. Street, left on Monroe Street, left on N. Commerce Street to 401 N. Commerce Street (first stop).
• 9:50 a.m. exit N. Commerce Street to S. Commerce Street, left on Orleans to Homochitto Street, cross John R. Junkin to Lower Woodville Road.
• Dunkerron Subdivision: Left on Briarwood, left on Tanglewood, right onto Rollingwood, then back to left on Briarwood, then left on Highland Boulevard.
• Highland Subdivision: From Highland Boulevard, turn right on Pecanway Drive, left on Woodville Drive across Highland, left on MacGregor Way, right on Pecanway, right on Stahlman Street, exit to Seargent Prentiss then left on Jeff Davis Blvd.
• Fatherland Subdivision and Montebello Subdivision: From Jeff Davis turn right on South Meadow to Forest, left on Forest to S. Temple, left on S. Temple to Jeff Davis, straight onto North Temple to a left on North Meadow, left on Jeff Davis to left on Mansfield, left on Melrose-Montebello Parkway across Seargent Prentiss Drive onto Melrose, right on Linden Drive to 101 Conner Circle (second stop).
• Children’s Christmas Tree: 11 a.m. Santa will be at the Braden School on Homochitto Street for the annual Children’s Christmas Tree gift giveaway.
• 12:15 p.m. Parade participants meet for lunch at the Grand Hotel, 111 Broadway Street.
• 1:15 p.m. Depart the Grand Hotel and turn right on Franklin Street then left on Morgantown Road to Oakland Subdivision.
• Oakland Subdivision: Bear right on Oakland, loop back to Morgantown Road, then turn right to Brooklyn Subdivision.
• Brooklyn Subdivision: Left on Second Street at Morgantown Baptist Church, turn left on Brooklyn to Magnolia Avenue, right on Magnolia, loop back to Brooklyn, left on Brooklyn to Brookfield Subdivision.
• Brookfield Subdivision: From Brookfield, turn right to Horseshoe, loop back to Brookfield, right to Morgantown Road, right to U.S. 61, right on Canal Street (third stop).
• 2:34 p.m. From John R. Junkin, turn right on U.S. 61 to the Trees Subdivision.
• Trees Subdivision: Turn left onto Old Prentiss Highway, right on Live Oak to left on Pecanwood, loop around to left on Live Oak to left on U.S. 61 South then left to the Hills Subdivision.
• Hills Subdivision: On Hurricane Road turn left to Ridgeway, right on Laurel Hill, right on Dunbarton Drive to South Hampton Road, right on U.S. 61 South (final Stop).