All encouraged to attend Christmas on Deer Creek on December 7

Saturday, December 7, will see downtown Leland transform into a winter wonderland for the 60th annual Christmas on Deer Creek celebration, running from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The festive event features a variety of activities, including the much-anticipated Children’s Brunch, Run Run Ru-Duck 5K, the Christmas Parade, Santa’s procession down the Creek, the lighting of the Christmas Tree and an unforgettable fireworks display.

Children’s Brunch – All Aboard the Polar Express  Children can enjoy snacks and activities during the annual children’s brunch aboard the Polar Express. Tickets are available on the Leland Chamber of Commerce’s and the event’s Facebook page and website for $25 each. Attendees can choose a seat that best fits their family’s schedule, with “rides” beginning at 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and noon.

This year’s brunch will be held at the Leland Methodist Church. Seating is limited and is first-come, first-served, so those who wish to attend are encouraged to watch the Chamber’s and the event’s social media pages for additional information on ticket sales. Physical tickets will not be distributed, and tickets will not be sold at the door. The ticket holders’ name and number of tickets will be listed at the event entrance.

Run Run Ru-Duck 5K Run Run Ru-Duck is not a typical 5k. Participants in the race are encouraged to wear their favorite Christmas sweaters, dress as Cousin Eddie, or even don Santa suits. Unlike traditional races, the event will award prizes for the best costumes rather than the fastest times, in the interest of spreading holiday cheer and creativity.

Early registration, which ensures the registrant will receive their requested T-shirt size, must be completed by November 22. After that date, the cost of the race is $35. Registration can be completed at RaceRoster.com. Online registration closes at noon on December 6. Race-day registration will be available for $35, with payment by cash or check only All students ages eighteen and under can register for the race for free, courtesy of Leland Medical Center. Run Run Ru-Duck will start and finish at Leland Light and Water, located at 101 North Deer Creek Drive West.

Entrants (as well as festival-goers) are also asked to help with the food pantry drive. Donations of canned soup, chili, tuna, mixed vegetables, pork and beans, spaghetti sauce, macaroni and cheese and black beans are requested for the benefit of the Leland Food Pantry. Donations can be brought to the registration table.

A water and sports drink station will be provided by Atomic Wine and Spirits at the front of the race, while festive Christmas cocktails will be available for those strolling at the back.

Judging for costumes will take place throughout the race, with prizes for the top fifteen best outfits. Prizes will include Goodr Christmas Sunglasses donated by Fountain’s Green Growcery. Planters Bank is also helping to sponsor the run.

Deer Creek Marketplace Festival-goers are encouraged to make time to shop the local shops and vendor booths that will line the streets of downtown Leland. From candles, wreaths, clothes, and toys to art, t-shirts, books, décor and homemade yummy treats, shoppers will be able to find everything they need for Christmas gifts this year. Vendor applications can be found on the Chamber’s website.

Food Trucks A variety of food trucks and vendors are expected this year, including those offering staples like BBQ, hot tamales, funnel cakes and homemade lemonade. Attendees are asked to bring their appetites and enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner at one of the many local eateries and food trucks. Vendor applications can be found on the Chamber’s website.

Christmas Parade What’s a Christmas celebration without a community Christmas parade? Each year, the Leland parade grows larger and more exciting with more participation from the community. Those who wish to participate and decorate a golf cart, side by side, motorcycle, truck, baby stroller, or even themselves and parade through the streets of Leland.
Parade applications can be found on the Chamber’s and the event’s social media and website and need to be returned to Nancy Jo King. They can be mailed to P.O. Box 67 in Leland or dropped off at City Hall. Line up for the parade will be at 1:30 p.m. at St. James Catholic Church. The parade will begin at 2 p.m.

 

 

Musical Entertainment The day will feature live music on two stages, culminating in a special performance by Forever Motown on the main stage in the evening. The cast, backed by a band of musicians, represents Motown royalty, and they will perform beloved songs from what is considered by many to be the greatest groups, artists and songwriters of all time: The Four Tops, The Temptations, The Supremes, Smokey Robinson, Mary Wells, Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell and Stevie Wonder.

“Clearly the best Motown Review to date,” raved CBS News; “Captures the essence of America’s own music in an evening of sheer fun,” wrote the Washington Post. “Bring your dancing shoes and bring the whole family. This is a show for everyone,” exclaimed the Entertainment Review.

The cast of Forever Motown will perform holiday tunes sprinkled into the regular Motown hits they perform, and concertgoers can expect Christmas favorites including, “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” “What Christmas Means to Me,” “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” “Jingle Bells,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “All I Want for Christmas,” “This Christmas,” “White Christmas,” “Silent Night,” “Joy to the World” and more.

Throughout the day, local acts will perform on the Rainbow Connection Bridge on Broad Street over Deer Creek, and those who wish to see the larger acts are reminded to get their chairs set out and ready for performances on the Main Stage in the greenspace on Main Street. The live entertainment portion of the festival is being led by Steve Azar and his team.

Museum Crawl Four local museums will all be open on December 7: the Mississippi Wildlife Heritage Museum, Our Town Museum, Highway 61 Blues Museum and the Jim Henson Boyhood Exhibit (lovingly referred to as our Kermit Museum).

Photos and Storytime with Santa and Mrs. Claus Santa and Mrs. Claus will be making special appearances throughout the day for photos and story time, with their final schedule to be posted on the Chamber’s and the event’s social media and website, including details on when and where to catch them.

Here Comes Santa Claus As the sun sets, attendees are asked to grab a seat on the Creek bank to await the grand procession of Santa coming down Deer Creek. This holiday tradition marks the beginning of the holiday season in Leland. Santa and his reindeer will propel down Deer Creek toward the Rainbow Bridge and light up all the floats on the Creek along the way! For over sixty years, Leland has been known for the beautiful and festive light floats along the Creek. Residents can also take a walking or driving tour of the fl oats through the month of December at their leisure.

Lighting of the Tree What’s Christmas without a grand tree? After Santa makes his arrival, the place to be is on the greenspace for the lighting of the massive Christmas tree at 6 p.m. The tree has become a magical piece of Christmas on Deer Creek, providing a space for toy donations, family photos and even an engagement proposal.

Fireworks Display After the last act has played, the evening will end with a fireworks display that is expected to leave the crowd breathless and counting down the days until next year’s Christmas on the Creek.

For more information and updates, visit www.LelandChamber.com. Follow the event on Facebook at “Christmas on Deer Creek” and Instagram at “christmas_deercreek.