Area festivities planned to celebrate season

Getting ready for Christmas at the Saline County Courthouse are, from left, Connie Curry, public information specialist, dressed as Mrs. Claus; Angel Koder, purchasing specialist, dressed as an elf; and Amanda Arnold, building-maintenance administrative assistant, dressed as Elf on the Shelf. The Saline County Courthouse lighting ceremony will be Dec. 5, immediately following the parade in Benton. Santa and his helpers will be at the courthouse to greet visitors from 6-8 p.m. Dec. 5, 8, 13, 15, 16, 20 and 22.
Getting ready for Christmas at the Saline County Courthouse are, from left, Connie Curry, public information specialist, dressed as Mrs. Claus; Angel Koder, purchasing specialist, dressed as an elf; and Amanda Arnold, building-maintenance administrative assistant, dressed as Elf on the Shelf. The Saline County Courthouse lighting ceremony will be Dec. 5, immediately following the parade in Benton. Santa and his helpers will be at the courthouse to greet visitors from 6-8 p.m. Dec. 5, 8, 13, 15, 16, 20 and 22.

Communities throughout the Tri-Lakes Edition coverage area are gearing up for the holidays.

The following is a glimpse of some of the activities and events.

ARKADELPHIA

• The Arkadelphia Christmas Parade will be presented at 5 p.m. Thursday along Main Street. The theme for the parade is “The Art of Christmas.”

The deadline to enter has passed.

For more information, call Ashlee Vaughn at the Arkadelphia Alliance and Area Chamber of Commerce at (870) 246-1460 or Herman Thomas, parade chairman, at (870) 260-2053.

• The Junior Auxiliary of Arkadelphia will present Breakfast With Santa from 9-11 a.m. Saturday in the cafeteria of Louisa E. Perritt Primary School, 1900 Walnut St. Participants will have an opportunity create Christmas ornaments, pick up some reindeer food, take a photo with Santa and/or take a family photo for holiday cards and hear a reading of “’Twas the Night Before Christmas.”

Those planning to attend are asked to bring a canned or other nonperishable food item or a household cleaning or personal item for the Junior Auxiliary to give to a family in need.

• The Arkadelphia Alliance and Area Chamber of Commerce has partnered with the Junior Auxiliary of Arkadelphia to host a New Year’s Eve celebration, A Toast to the Town, at The Barn at Richwoods.

The event will be from 8 p.m. to midnight Dec. 31 with a ball drop to welcome in 2017.

Tickets are $60 and include heavy hors d’oeuvres, drinks, New Year’s party favors and a champagne toast at midnight. Tickets are available at the Arkadelphia Alliance and Area Chamber of Commerce or Ivan Smith Furniture Arkadelphia.

Raffle tickets will be sold to the public and ticket-holders for up to six package items. One item is a 12-foot aluminum boat from Alumacraft, which will be on display at the alliance and chamber.

Contact Shelley Golden Loe at (870) 246-1460 or Alannah McNeese at (870) 403-3406 for more information.

• The Arkadelphia Arts Center, 625 Main St., is hosting Holiday Bazaar, a shopping event, through Dec. 16. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.

BENTON

• The Benton Parks and Recreation Department will host Santa in the Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Tyndall Park. The event is free and open to the community.

There will be free pictures with Santa, story time with Santa, music, carriage rides, hot cocoa and coffee, kids’ crafts, a cookie-decoration station and a coloring station.

For more information, contact Stephanie Jones, recreation supervisor, at (501) 776-5970 or sbatchelder@bentonar.org. Information is also available on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BentonParksandRec.

• The Benton Christmas Parade will begin at 6 p.m. Dec. 5 in downtown Benton. The parade route will start on Market Street in the C.W. Lewis Football Field parking lot and go down Market Street, turn right on North Street and right on Main Street.

The theme is “Your Favorite Classic Christmas Movie or TV Show.” The registration fee is $10, and prizes will be awarded. The deadline to enter is Monday.

No one should dress as Santa Claus or Mrs. Claus.

A Best of Show winner will be named in three categories — floats, wheeled vehicles and bands; trophies will be awarded in these categories as well.

For more information, contact Paradise Pets at (501) 776-3500, Posey’s Service at (501) 317-9199 or the Benton Area Chamber of Commerce at (501) 860-7004.

• The Saline County Courthouse Lighting Ceremony will take place immediately following the parade Dec. 5 in downtown Benton. Santa and the elves will be at the gazebo on the courthouse lawn that night until 8.

Santa and the elves will also be at the courthouse from 6-8 p.m. Dec. 8, 13, 15, 16, 20 and 22.

Dec. 15 will be Character Night on the courthouse lawn and will feature Frosty, Elf on the Shelf, Smarty the Fox, Holiday Hog, Arkansas Travelers Ace and Otey, Batman, Sonic Cherry Limeade, Rudolph, the Chick-fil-A Cow and Bobber the Dog.

Big Red, Community Coffee and The Buzz 106 radio station will sponsor Santa and the elves on Dec. 15 and 16. The Buzz will broadcast live from the courthouse from 5-7 both nights.

Photos with Santa will be taken each night and posted on Facebook. The Cocoa House will be open each night with free cookies and hot cocoa.

BRYANT

• The Bryant Christmas Parade will be at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 6.

The theme for the annual event is “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” which is sponsored by Landers Auto of Saline County. Participants will line up at 5:30 at Bryant Middle School and return to the same location. The deadline to enter is Friday; the entry fee is $10. Prizes will be awarded.

Entries must be decorated for the Christmas season but may not contain any type of Santa Claus. Santa will have his own float or ride.

The parade route will begin at Bryant Middle School, go east on Sullivan Road, turn right on North Reynolds Road, right on Northwest Fourth Street, right on Wise Street, left on Boswell Road, right on School Drive, which turns into Woodland Drive, and end back at Bryant Middle School.

For more information, call the Bryant Area Chamber of Commerce at (501) 847-4702.

• The Bryant Area Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a Nativity scene at First Security Bank on the corner of Arkansas 5 and Reynolds Road.

• The Boys & Girls Club of Bryant will sponsor the sixth annual Starlight Gala at 7 p.m. Dec. 31 at the Benton Event Center. The theme for the New Year’s Eve celebration is “Saturday Night Fever.”

For ticket information, visit www.bryantbgc.org or call (501) 653-5437.

GURDON

• The Gurdon Christmas Parade will be at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 6 along Main Street.

The theme for the event is “Twelve Days of Christmas.” There is no registration fee, and registration forms may be picked up at Forget Me Knot, 104 N. Front St., or First State Bank, 100 E. Main St. The deadline to enter is Friday.

Participants are asked not to have a Santa on their entries, as Santa will be featured at the end of the parade.

Cash prizes will be given in four categories — floats, ATVs, cars and bikes. Photos with Santa will be made available following the parade at Forget Me Knot.

For more information, call (870) 353-4444.

HOT SPRINGS

• The Arlington Hotel will hold its annual Gingerbread House Celebration, Tree Lighting and Caroling in the Lobby at 4:30 p.m. Friday. Refreshments will be served. For more information, call (501) 623-7771 or (800) 643-1502.

• The Oaklawn Rotary Christmas Parade will begin at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 5. in downtown Hot Springs. The theme of the parade is “Visions of Christmas Long Ago.”

Garland County Historical Society Executive Director Liz Robbins will serve as the grand marshal.

The parade route moves north to south on Central Avenue from Whittington Avenue to Orange Street. The deadline to enter has passed.

• The Quapaw-Prospect Historic District will have a luminaria display Dec. 12 from Prospect and Quapaw avenues to West Grand and Prospect avenues.

• Garvan Woodland Gardens will sponsor Holiday Lights 2016 from 5-9 p.m. through Dec. 31. The gardens will be closed Christmas Day.

More than 4 million lights are used to illuminate the 17 acres into an animated Christmas display. Free hot chocolate is served.

Admission is $15 for adults; $5 for children 6-12; and free for children 5 and younger. A golf-cart tour costs $15 extra.

For more information, visit the garvangardens.org.

• The Holiday in the Park musical event will take place all day Dec. 13 at the Hot Springs Convention Center. The National Park Community College Choir and Soundwaves and the Fun City Chorus, as well as choirs from area schools, will perform. Admission is two nonperishable food items. Call Steve Arrison at (501) 321-2027 for more information.

• A Reels and Wheels Drive-In Movie will be presented at 6 p.m. Dec. 23 at the Hot Springs Memorial Field Airport. The event is free and open to the public. The movie will be The Polar Express, starring Tom Hanks. Call Bill Solleder at (501) 321-2027 for more information.

MALVERN

• The Malvern Christmas Parade will be at 7 p.m. Dec. 8.

There is no theme, but participants must cover their floats with at least 50 percent Christmas decor. The deadline for parade entries is Dec. 5. The rain date for the parade is Dec. 9.

Participants will gather at 5 p.m. in the area of First and Second streets, just west of Main Street, and proceed south on Main Street, ending at Malvern High School. Prizes will be given in two divisions — civic/church groups and corporate/retail.

For more information, call Alanda Elrod at (501) 332-8028.

SHERIDAN

• Christmas on the Square will take place from 5-8 p.m. Saturday in downtown Sheridan.

The event will kick off with a parade at 5 and will feature live entertainment, pictures with Santa and a live Nativity scene. Many downtown vendors will be open for extended hours.

For more information, call (870) 942-3021.

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