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.