Claiborne Parish Christmas Festival

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All Information Tentative and Subject to Change

Claiborne Christmas Festival
A Full Day of Fun for the Entire Family
Saturday December 8th
Parade at 4 pm / Lighting of the Square at Dusk

Claiborne Parish Christmas Festival

The Christmas Festival will be filled with everything one needs to get their Christmas shopping done early. With vendors set to surround the Square in Homer, there will be something for everyone. Vendors will include gift items, food, hot chocolate and more.
New this year will be a fashion show sponsored by Necessities, nestled on the Square just across the street from Homer City Hall. The fashion show will be an all-day event throughout the day to showcase some of the store’s items. Crista Cheney, Christmas Festival coordinator, said if other stores want to participate in the fashion show, they may do so.
Also, Cheney is asking area churches to volunteer to cookout for the Christmas Festival to add variety to what festival goers can choose from. Any church wishing to participate is asked to call her.
Booth rental for vendors is free this year; however, space is limited, so please register early to reserve your spot.
The festival will begin at 10 a.m. and go well into the afternoon until around parade time.
To reserve booth space, participate in the fashion show or for churches that are willing to cookout, please contact Crista Cheney at 318-927-5888. Please fill it out and mail to Steel Magnolia, ATTN: Crista Cheney, 638 West Main Street, Homer, LA 71040. Or you can stop by Steel Magnolia and pick up a registration form.

Christmas Parade

The annual Claiborne Parish Christmas Parade will begin at 4 p.m., with lineup at 3 p.m. at Homer High School.

The parade committee is trying to make this year’s parade the biggest and best ever with lots of old and new participants. Whatever form of transportation participants choose to use must be safe. Entrants are required to provide their own sign of identification.

Individuals, organizations, groups or businesses are invited to participate.

Please send the entry form, which can be found in this week’s edition of The Guardian-Journal, to the Claiborne Christmas Parade Committee, Laci Lee and Sacha Matthews c/o Citizens National Bank, P.O. Box 779, Homer LA 71040. Or call 318-927-1099 to pick up a registration form.

Saturday - Rain or Shine

The L&NW Santa Train is back this year across North Louisiana and Southern Arkansas, carrying Santa to four towns in Louisiana and three towns in Arkansas.
Santa is currently looking for companies who want to host him during his visits to see kids this Christmas season. If you are interested, e-mail us or call 318-927-2031.

10:15 a.m. Athens, LA
Stop at: LA Hwy 518/Athens Ave.
11:15 a.m. Homer, LA
Stop at: Delta Interior parking lot (old Wal-Mart parking lot)
12:10 p.m. Haynesville, LA
Stop at: Fair Building – Gantt Street

A Full Day of Festivities
Square Merchants Open Early
Art & Craft Vendors - Bargins on Unique Christmas Gifts
Great Food for Every Taste
L&NW Santa Train Stops in Homer - Delta Interior parking lot Various Local Artist and Choirs performing throughout the day.
Christmas Parade Starts at 4 pm (line-up at 3 pm at Homer High)

Homer

9:00 am: Food and craft vendors set up around the Square
10:00 am: Food and craft vendors open for business
All Day - Fun for the Entire Family
11:15 am: L&NW Santa Train Stops in Homer - Delta Interior parking lot (old Wal-Mart parking lot)
3:00 pm: Parade Line Up at Homer High School
4:00 pm: Parade from Homer High School down to and around the Courthouse Square
Dusk: Lighting of the Courthouse Square

Haynesville - Movie at 11:30, Santa Train at 1:00 pm

We will be showing the kids a movie starting at 11:30 am with free popcorn being served.
Once Santa and Mrs Claus arrive, we will be giving every child a goody bag.
We will be catering to children from the elementary school PK-4, Head Start and First Baptist Wee Care.

For More Information Contact:
Reserve booth space, participate in the fashion show or for churches that are willing to cookout
Crista Cheney at 318-927-5888
Mail forms to:
Steel Magnolia
ATTN: Crista Cheney
638 West Main Street
Homer, LA 71040
Or you can stop by Steel Magnolia and pick up a registration form.
Christmas Parade Committee
Laci Lee and Sacha Matthews
c/o Citizens National Bank
P.O. Box 779
Homer LA 71040
Or call 318-927-1099 to pick up a registration form.

Zoom Out

The Claiborne Parish Christmas Festival will be held on Historic Homer Town Square located at the junction of La Hwy 9 and US Hwy 79. Shreveport/Bossier - 45 mins, Monroe - 1 hr 15 mins, Ruston - 40 mins, Farmerville - 30 mins, and El Dorado - 55 mins.

Spirit of Christmas Food Drive applications available

Application deadline set for December 14
Those who would like to receive a food box at Christmas should pick up an application at the Homer Food Stamp office or at the Claiborne Parish Police Jury. After completing the form it should be returned to either location accompanied by a print out from the Food Stamp Office. Deadline for receiving applications and forms is December 14. Boxes may be picked up at the First Presbyterian Church in Homer on December 21 from 1-4 pm or at the City Hall in Haynesville. For more information call Dwayne Woodard at 927-2222.
The food drive is sponsored by Brookshire’s and donations for the drive may be dropped off there in designated boxes. Individual items are welcomed and pre-packed bags are also available for purchase.
In addition to the Lions Club volunteers, the 4-H Junior Leaders will be collecting and sorting the donations.

Santa Train and
Christmas Festival sure to have something for everyone
The Guardian-Journal
The annual Santa Train and Claiborne Christmas Festival are set for next weekend and there’s something for everyone!
Set for Saturday, December 8, it kicks off at 10 a.m. with the Christmas Festival, with Santa Claus rolling through Homer around lunch time. Once all the kids have given Santa their wish list for Christmas, families are urged to stroll through downtown Homer at the Square and get some of their Christmas shopping done, drink hot chocolate, relax a little and enjoy the fashion show that will be going on all throughout the day before the Christmas Parade starts at 4 p.m.
Below is a list of activities for the day. Don’t miss it!
Christmas Festival

The Christmas Festival will be filled with everything one needs to get their Christmas shopping done early. With vendors set to surround the Square in Homer, there will be something for everyone. Vendors will include gift items, food, hot chocolate and more.
New this year will be a fashion show sponsored by Necessities, nestled on the Square just across the street from Homer City Hall. The fashion show will be an all-day event throughout the day to showcase some of the store’s items. Crista Cheney, Christmas Festival coordinator, said if other stores want to participate in the fashion show, they may do so.
Also, Cheney is asking area churches to volunteer to cookout for the Christmas Festival to add variety to what festival goers can choose from. Any church wishing to participate is asked to call her.
Booth rental for vendors is free this year; however, space is limited, so please register early to reserve your spot.
The festival will begin at 10 a.m. and go well into the afternoon until around parade time.
To reserve booth space, participate in the fashion show or for churches that are willing to cookout, please contact Crista Cheney at 318-927-5888. Please fill it out and mail to Steel Magnolia, ATTN: Crista Cheney, 638 West Main Street, Homer, LA 71040. Or you can stop by Steel Magnolia and pick up a registration form.
Christmas Parade

The annual Claiborne Parish Christmas Parade will begin at 4 p.m., with lineup at 3 p.m. at Homer High School.
The parade committee is trying to make this year’s parade the biggest and best ever with lots of old and new participants. Whatever form of transportation participants choose to use must be safe. Entrants are required to provide their own sign of identification.
Individuals, organizations, groups or businesses are invited to participate.
Please send the entry form, which can be found in this week’s edition of The Guardian-Journal, to the Claiborne Christmas Parade Committee, Laci Lee and Sacha Matthews c/o Citizens National Bank, P.O. Box 779, Homer LA 71040. Or call 318-927-1099 to pick up a registration form.
Santa Train

Come rain or shine, Santa Claus is coming to town! Santa will come to Claiborne Parish via train provided by L&NW!
Athens
He will begin his day-long journey in Gibsland at 9:30 a.m. at the E.W. Merritt Pavilion and make his way to Claiborne Parish, first stopping in Athens at 10:30 a.m. at La. Hwy. 518 and Athens Avenue. A host of activities will take place as Santa makes his first stop in Claiborne Parish.
Homer
Santa Claus will stop via L&NW Railroad at Delta Interiors in Homer between 11:30 and 11:45 a.m. Several activities will be going on as the children get to see Santa and tell him their Christmas wish list. Also, get your picture taken with Santa Claus. Pictures are $10 and all proceeds will go to the Domestic Abuse Resistance Team (DART). Also, DART is doing their annual Christmas Cash raffle. For $1, get a ticket for $300 in Christmas cash.
Haynesville
The Santa Train will stop at Church Avenue in Haynesville between 1 and 1:15 p.m. and go to the Claiborne Parish Fair Complex. There will be goodies for Haynesville Wee Care, Head Start and children in grades Pre-K through fourth grade.
Santa Train is coming!
Plan to have your picture made

Each year, Santa arrives in Claiborne Parish on the LN&W Railroad. He comes to visit with the children at Delta Interiors in Homer. Santa will be available for pictures with your child. This is an annual fundraiser for DART. Pictures are $10 each and can be picked up later in the day at Delta.
Claiborne DART is very grateful for Delta Interior’s contribution to this fundraiser. They provide the photographer, the pictures and the cards for the pictures. DART receives all the proceeds from the sale of Santa pictures. DART volunteers will be on site to sell tickets for Santa pictures that morning before Santa arrives and tickets will be available as long as Santa is there. DART will also be selling raffle tickets for the annual Christmas cash giveaway. For a $1 donation, you can take a chance to win $300 Christmas cash. The drawing will be held on December 20 and the winner will be notified immediately.
We will be looking forward to seeing you on December 8th for the Annual Christmas Santa Train event at Delta Interiors.
For more information, please call Mary Ellen Gamble at 927-2818.