Christmas holidays are right around the corner and the Atmore Area Chamber of Commerce is already gearing up for the festivities with three annual events scheduled for the month of December.

The chamber will be hosting Evening with Santa, the Jingle Bell Walk and the Twilight Christmas parade next month.
Christmas events will kick off with the Jingle Bell Walk from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1, in downtown Atmore.

Guests are encouraged to come out and visit shops in the downtown area, Atmore Area Chamber of Commerce office manager Shelly Williams said.

“(Director Sheryl Vickery) is working with a committee to set up a Jingle Bell Walk on the first of December,” she said. “The details for that event are still being worked out, but we want it to be a popular event to help our downtown merchants.”

One week later, Santa will make a visit to Atmore to visit with girls and boys and to take pictures as well.

An Evening with Santa will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 8, at Heritage Park hosted by the chamber, with Hursh Photography taking photographs.

Refreshments and fun are always on tap when Santa visits the park, Williams said.

“We’ll have refreshments provided from the ladies at the PCI SAIL Center,” she said. “This year, I think there will be macaroni and cheese, which is popular with the kids. We will also offer cookies and hot chocolate, and of course all of the refreshments are free.

Photos will be taken with Santa, and Hursh Photography will take those photos and provide packages for parents to purchase.”

The chamber’s Christmas events will conclude on Saturday, Dec. 10, at 5:30 p.m. with Atmore’s Twilight Christmas Parade.

The theme of this year’s parade will be “A Christmas Gift”, and it is sponsored by Gulf Winds Federal Credit Union (Platinum),Walgreens (Gold), B&G Storage (Silver), Atmore Appliance, H&R Block, Lee Veterinary Clinic, McKinley’s Auto Service, Muskogee Technology, Pintoli’s Italian Cafe, Southern Gold Buyers (Partners of the Parade) and 2011 corporate partner, Wind Creek Casino & Hotel.
This year’s parade has been moved back to accommodate the chance for people to see two parades, Williams said.
“The time of the parade has been pushed back to 5:30 p.m. because there is a 2 p.m. parade in Brewton,” she said. “This way, it offers people the opportunity to visit both parades. Right now, we are taking entries for the parade and the deadline for entries is Monday, Dec. 5.”

Upon receiving all entries, the chamber will hold two safety meetings at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 6, and Thursday, Dec. 8, to go over specifics for the parade.

The meetings are mandatory and are used to help make the parade successful, Williams said.

“A representative from each group will have to attend one of two mandatory safety meetings,” she said. “We hold them, so that everyone is aware of the safety guidelines that must be followed. This way they know the proper ways to enter and exit the staging area. Everyone will have time to prepare and line up. It’s also because it is a night parade and we need people to know how to be safe when moving through the route.”