Christmas in Css County

The Christmas season is hopping with several events going on around the community. This last week is only a piece of it with several more to come. On Saturday there were two Christmas parades. One in Atlanta and one in Linden. Earlier this week there were tree lightings and the first-ever Atlanta Chamber Choir competition.

In Linden, Christmas on the Square was held on Saturday, followed by the Linden Parade. According to Jo Duncan, there were “48 vendors set up with food trucks, sweets/bakery vendors, craft makers, boutiques, and more. Lots of fun was shared by many. We did have very cool temps and a few sprinkles in the morning but warmed up for a terrific parade which included 53 entries and lots of smiles. We invited a brigade

from those entries too..“ Earlier in the week on, Thursday night “the Chamber hosted the Lighting of the Tree on the Square. We had a great crowd. The 3rd - 5th grade from Linden Kildare Elementary performed musical selections. Mayor Reynolds did the count down to the lighting of the tree. The Linden Garden Club served hot cocoa and cookies. Beautiful hometown experience. The Chamber appreciates those in the city who helped to get the tree up and their assistance with the lighting.”

In Atlanta, Saturday was the Atlanta Area Christmas Parade. A large group of people came out to enjoy the parade enduring light sprinkles and sightly cold weather. There were 83 total entries; Floats: 34; of them, 15 were commercial Floats: and 19 were, noncommercial Floats: 19.

The awards were as follows.

Noncommercial Floats:

• 1st Place: Cornerstone Assembly of God

• 2nd Place: GT Church

• 3rd Place: New Colony Baptist Church

Commercial Floats:

• 1st Place: River Valley Tractor

• 2nd Place: Atlanta Methodist Day School

• 3rd Place: Lucky You Rescue “Horse Riding Groups: We had six scheduled, but one did not attend due to the rain.”

“The Super Band, comprised of Atlanta, Queen City, and Linden bands, opted not to participate due to concerns about protecting their instruments and uniforms from the weather. However, the Queen City Color Guard did ride in the parade.”

On Tuesday, December 3 the Atlanta Chamber held the tree lighting and first-ever Atlanta Chamber Christmas Choir competition. According to Jill Crocker, the President or the Atlanta Area Chamber of Commerce, “This is the first competition of its kind for the Atlanta Area Chamber of Commerce. The reason we decided to hold such an event was to boost the Christmas spirit in our area through music.”

“Entry was free, and the rules were simple: All participants must reside in Cass County and must sing a Christmas song either secular or religious. All selections must be five minutes or less. All groups must consist of five singers or more. Everyone must sing a cappella.”

“The judges were Stacia Runnels president of the Marshall Chamber of Commerce, her husband, James, the associate pastor of Crossroads Baptist Church in Marshall, Texas, and Mary Lee from KMHT radio in Marshall.

“We had three groups participating First Baptist Church, Atlanta, kids, the proclaimers, and Atlanta Methodist Church.

The Atlanta Methodist Church won the $500 prize that was sponsored by KALT radio.”

There are several events on the horizon in December because everyone needs more Christmas spirit. If you have additional events, please post them on the Journal-Sun Facebook page. Have a Merry Christmas!

Dec 13-14, 5:30 p.m. Christmas in the Park - Atlanta State Park Experience a Christmas Wonderland and meet Santa inside the Pineywoods of Atlanta State Park!

December 14, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Atlanta Holiday Makers Market Come out and get your last-minute Christmas shopping and stocking stuffers taken care of.

December 20, 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Atlanta Hometown Christmas Come out and make Christmastime a magical time with your family! This year’s Hometown Christmas will be different from years past and will need the community to show up and show out!