Save the date for Christmas on Deer Creek 2024

As the countdown to the holiday season begins, Leland is planning and gearing up for all of the festivities for Christmas on Deer Creek 2024. Soon, the town will be scurrying with activity to prepare for the annual family- friendly event, with this year being the 59th Christmas on Deer Creek.

Set for Saturday, December 7, the Christmas festival, held in historic downtown Leland, has been revamped this year, to offer a day-long opportunity for the community to come out and enjoy all things Christmas, with something for everyone.

Beginning at 9 a.m. that morning, Leland Methodist Church will have the first of three brunch seatings of the day for a breakfast aboard the Polar Express. Attendees are invited to join the fun in their pajamas. The event, which includes hot chocolate and cookies, will be offered at 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and noon. Tickets, which are $25, go on sale in November.

Food and marketplace vendors will open for festival-goers’ perusing and holiday shopping at 10 a.m. Those wishing to participate in the festivities are encouraged to visit the Leland Chamber of Commerce website at LelandChamber.com.

Food vendors, who must be set up by 10 a.m. and remain set up until 10 p.m., will provide their own chairs, tables, tents and the like. Food vendors will not be allowed to serve alcoholic beverages, or sell t-shirts and/or crafts.

Market vendors will each have a ten-foot by ten-foot space, which will include a table, tablecloth and two chairs. Vendor check-in will be at 9 a.m. that Saturday, and all booths must be set up by 10 a.m., with vehicles, trailers and set-up equipment removed from the area.

Applications and registration fees of $150 are due by 4 p.m. on November 4 for both food and market vendors. All vendors are encouraged to bring their own tent, in case of inclement weather. An application does not guarantee a booth space, and, if a vendor’s application is not accepted, their registration fees will be returned.

The day will include amusements for kids, as well as photos with Santa and a storytime with Mrs. Claus.

Parade lineup will begin at 1:30 p.m., with the parade kicking off at 2 p.m. Groups and individuals who would like to participate in the parade can find a parade application on the Chamber’s website. Entries can be a float, band, automobile, horses, ATVs, walking groups or other approved methods of transportation. Entries should not exceed thirteen and a half feet in length, or sixty feet in length. Parade applications are due by Sunday, November 8.

Another application that has opened is for the Run Run Ruduck 5K race, which will take place at 3 p.m. Holiday costumes are required, and prizes will be awarded. More information is available on the Chamber’s website.

There will be lots of fun and entertainment to be had on the Rainbow Connection bridge, before Santa comes down Deer Creek on a water-propelled sleigh at  5:30 p.m.

As the evening darkens, there will be a 6:30 p.m. lighting of the Christmas tree, with the main stage entertainment beginning at 7 p.m. A fireworks display will close out the night at 9 p.m.

Preparation work begins November 4 with a meeting at 1 p.m. at the Morlino Center, where teams will start making plans to decorate the town.

In the upcoming weeks, residents will see the Red Apron ladies decorating store fronts, hanging garlands on the bridges and placing wreaths all around the town.

All volunteers are welcomed and encouraged to attend the planning meeting on Monday, November 4. For more information about volunteering or participating, call the Leland Chamber of Commerce at 662-379-3764.

Look for more information in next month’s edition of The Leland Progress, and visit LelandChamber.com and the Leland Chamber’s Facebook page for updates.