Sand Mountain Reporter

Anyone looking for Christmas spirit this weekend can find it in Boaz.

The city is hosting two major yuletide events: the WBSA Boaz Christmas Parade on Friday starting at 5:30 p.m.; and the Boaz Christmas Extravaganza on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Lineup for Friday’s parade is 4 p.m. in front of the Boaz Police Department and First Baptist Church of Boaz.

The church plans to have free coffee, hot chocolate and doughnuts on hand.

“Its something we’ve done for the past several years to show the community we care about them,” said Jonathan Lancaster, associate pastor at the church. “When everybody’s getting ready, we have a little tent set out in front of the church, and we pass out coffee, hot chocolate and doughnuts for everybody in the parade. We want to make sure everybody stays warm.”

The morning after the parade, Saturday’s Christmas Extravaganza starts at 8 a.m. downtown.

Boaz Area Chamber of Commerce President Keyesta Sherman said the first-ever event is expecting about 50 food, arts and crafts vendors.

“I think that’s great for a first-time event,” Sherman said. “It definitely gives us something to build on.”

Sherman said she hopes the extravaganza becomes an annual event like the city’s traditional Harvest Festival in October. She said coordinating the extravaganza wasn’t difficult despite coming so close on the heels of the Harvest Festival.

“It wasn’t that much of a challenge,” Sherman said. “The biggest hesitation was because the vendors didn’t know how many other vendors were coming. We got 50, and the vendors seemed pleased by that. I know we are.

“Now we just need to get the people out here to enjoy it.”

The event will feature unique food vendors making roasted corn and fried half-moon pies on the spot, and a variety of arts and crafts vendors selling jewelry, handmade ornaments, clothing, baskets, birdhouses and leather goods, Sherman said.

“There will be horse rides and train rides, and horse-and-wagon rides,” Sherman said. “Mrs. Claus will be giving away books to kids who listen to her read.”

Another added bonus: gift-wrapping. Anyone buying merchandise in Boaz during the extravaganza can drop by the chamber office at 100 E. Bartlett Ave. and have their purchases gift-wrapped just by showing their receipts.

“It will be a fun-filled event that you don’t normally have around here,” Sherman said. “We wanted to try to kind of shake things up and bring something new.”

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Publisher: Ben Shurett

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