BY SARAH STEPHENS
ELMORE/AUTAUGA NEWS
Editor’s Note: There is still time to enter your float in the Christmas Parade Saturday, Dec. 5. Visit this link for form. There is no charge to participate in the parade. – https://cityofmillbrook.org/2020-spirit-of-christmas/
It may not be in the forecast officially, but there will be SNOW tonight at the Village Green for the annual City Tree Lighting Celebration!
Add to that the SEHS High School Band and the Millbrook Middle School Band performing, the Millbrook Middle School Dance Team, Concessions including hot chocolate, hot coffee and baked goods, Christmas Caroling with “Clemency” and a lot of family friendly FUN. And did we mention SNOW?
Music will begin in the park at 5:30 p.m., with the official event kicking off at 6 p.m. Come hear the story of Christmas, enjoy some great entertainment, and be present when the lights in the park and the official Christmas tree is lit. It is a GREAT time to get some family photos….in the snow.
Bring your lawn chairs and blankets, bundle up, and follow CDC guidelines for COVID-19, please.
Stadium seating will be available, but it limited, so come early for the best seats.
This will be a genuine, Hometown Christmas celebration and we invite the community to come out and participate, safely of course, with masks for protection.
The excitement continues Saturday in a BIG way, with the Christmas Festival kicking off at Village Green at 9 a.m. There are more food and craft vendors than ever before, and more are still being added as of this afternoon. It is not too late to join in the parade fun with your float as well. More information about that is below. The parade will roll from Mill Creek Park behind Smokehouse BBQ, north to Village Green Park at 2 p.m.
Floats will be judged in multiple categories! PLEASE keep children close to you during the parade, and do not allow them to run into the street with passing floats.
After the parade, head back to Village Green for more shopping and pick up some food for supper!
Below is a recap with full information about both the Tree lighting tonight and Parade day.
What 2020 needs is a good, old-fashioned Christmas Celebration. Fortunately, Millbrook has just the ticket, and it kicks off Thursday evening at Village Green Park on Main Street with the Official City Christmas Tree Lighting celebration at 6 p.m.. Music will begin at 5:30 p.m. so come early and get a good spot. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets. Limited stadium seating will also be available, but come early.
The Stanhope Elmore High School Baseball Diamond Club will have concessions for sale including hot coffee, hot chocolate and baked goods. This is a fundraiser for their organization, so help support them!
Pastor Janet Krantz with Robinson Springs United Methodist Church will open the event with a prayer. Guests will hear the story of Christmas. Entertainment will include Clemency, the Millbrook Middle School Dance Team, the SEHS Band and Millbrook Middle School Band. There will be caroling and great entertainment before and after the official lighting of the city’s tree. This is a great opportunity to have family pictures in front of the tree, or within the park. A light show set to music will also be available.
On Saturday, make your way to the Village Green beginning at 9 a.m. for at least almost 50 food and Craft vendors (the list keeps growing) and live entertainment on the stage. According to Spirit of Christmas Chairwoman Kathy Kelley, this is the largest number of vendors ever for the Christmas Festival.
On stage performing will be members of Lisa’s Dance Dimensions and Chung’s Taikwondo. Music will be streamed throughout the park all day up until parade time at 2 p.m. (We still have spots open if you want to provide entertainment. Email editorsarah@yahoo.com to sign up.)
The parade begins at Mill Creek Park behind Smokehouse Pit BBQ, then heads north on Main Street to Village Green. Get ready to catch some candy and treats! The floats will be judged in several categories, and we will announce the winners in a future article.
Afterwards, head back to the park to shop and get more food!
Below is full information concerning specifics of the events tonight and Saturday.
Millbrook Spirit of Christmas – 2020
Thursday – Dec. 3rd – Annual Christmas Tree Lighting 6:00 pm on the Village Green. Come out, bring your chairs and a blanket. Caroling and entertainment! Concessions will be for sale including hot chocolate, hot coffee and baked goods.
Saturday – Dec. 5th – Spirit of Christmas Parade – 2:00 pm. (The Rain Date is Dec.6th at 3:00 pm for Parade and 10 am – 4 pm for Vendors.) The Theme for this year is – “Home for the Holidays.” Our Grand Marshals for this year’s parade are Officers from area clubs.
Saturday – Dec. 5th – Arts & Crafts & Food Vendors & Entertainment – 9:00 am – 4:00 pm. We will have entertainment on stage all day on the Village Green. Come out and see lots of dancers, a TaiKwondo demonstration and more. We have a great variety of Arts & Crafts vendors, so come out and buy some beautiful and unique Christmas gifts. We have food vendors aplenty with all kinds of temptations. Come for breakfast, stay for lunch, and take home goodies for supper!
If you would like to provide entertainment on Parade day, slots are open from 11:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. with one hour or half hour times available. Contact Sarah Stephens to sign up by emailing her at editorsarah@yahoo.com.
Santa and Mrs. Claus will be in the Gazebo in the Village Green and available for pictures 11:00 am – 1:00 pm. Free photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus for children 12 and under. Photos are taken by Chrietzberg Photography and sponsored by Valley Bank.
Parade – 2:00 pm – til it’s over. The Parade begins at the Smokehouse Pit BarBQ and ends at the intersection of Main Street mand Coosada Road. We will have lots of politicians, fire trucks, cars, floats, bands, scouts, dancers, tractors, and horses. And lots of candy being thrown!!! After walking around the Village Green and buying from our vendors, pick you out a spot to view our wonderful Parade. When the Parade is over, come back to the Village Green to finish your shopping. We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!!!
It isn’t too late to sign up for parade!!!! There is no fee to have a float represented.
We will be following current guidelines for Covid-19 such as wearing masks if required and social distancing.
For more information call Spirit of Christmas Chairman Kathy Kelley at 334-322-9871
2020 Spirit of Christmas
Christmas Parade Information
• Line-up for the parade is at the Mill Creek Sports Complex parking lots.
• People who are riding on floats must be dropped off at the back entrance to the sports complex by way of Demonbruen Drive off of Cobbs Ford Road. After the parade it would be easier for parents to pick up their children in back of the Village Green.
• All horses will be placed last in line at the end of the parade unless they have diapers.
• To be judged you must be in line and on your float by 12:30 p.m. This means your float must be decorated and people must be on your float for the judges to be able to judge your float. You can bring your float in early and leave it. Judges will view the floats and awards will be presented to the winners in the following categories: Best Representation of Theme, and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners in Schools, Churches, Clubs, and Businesses. Please have a banner or sign to identify your entry in the parade.
• Santa and Mrs. Claus will be riding on Santa’s sleigh. Please don’t confuse the kids by having another Santa on your float.
• Please make sure you have enough candy to throw to last the entire parade route!!!!!!!
• There is no charge for Parade entries. We will not send out a line-up number. You will be shown to your line-up position the day of the parade. We will send you an acknowledgement of your entry form if you have an e-mail or FAX# on form. Parade entries are still being accepted!
• For more information, contact Kathy Kelley at 322-9871(cell) or 285-7231(wk) and ask for Linda. For a parade form, visit https://cityofmillbrook.org/2020-spirit-of-christmas/
