Crowd aglow for tree's lighting

Tiona Edwards, 8, and her sister, Neveah, 4, pose with Santa at Sunday night's Christmas tree lighting event at the downtown plaza. (Pine Bluff Commercial/Byron Tate)
Tiona Edwards, 8, and her sister, Neveah, 4, pose with Santa at Sunday night's Christmas tree lighting event at the downtown plaza. (Pine Bluff Commercial/Byron Tate)


"Look, Granny!"

An excited 8-year-old Tiona Edwards had just spied the Santa Run fire truck as it pulled up to the plaza at Sixth Avenue and Main Street, where Sunday evening's Christmas festivities were about to take place.

"Granny" was Mae Murphy, who was there with her grandchildren.

"They've really been looking forward to this," Murphy said. "They couldn't wait."

The Santa Run fire truck is covered in Christmas lights and will start making the rounds each night of the week as it gets up and down all of Pine Bluff's many streets and thoroughfares.

Nearby was Santa Claus himself, just stopping by from the North Pole.

Santa said the elves had been busy making all kinds of toys -- toy trains, robots, Xboxes and PlayStations.

Asked about his trim appearance, Santa said he'd lost some weight recently.

"I've been chasing reindeer," he said. "They broke out and I had to go catch them."

As for covid, Santa said he and his staff were being careful.

"You gotta be safe anywhere you go," he said. "We're all wearing masks in the workshop. And we've all been vaccinated. They all chose to get it."

Keeping spirits lively was a group of carolers who sang traditional Christmas tunes. The singers were led by Faron Wilson, who is the organist and choirmaster at Trinity Episcopal Church. Wilson said the group is made up of singers he put together, including soloist Ashton Cheatham, who took the lead on several pieces.

Once children got over their shyness, they eagerly embraced the opportunity to get close to Santa even if it was just to pose with him for a photo for mom.

Tiona said that when she got the opportunity to talk to Santa privately, she was going to tell him that she wanted an LOL Dollhouse. She then paused and her cheeks filled with air as she looked skyward and pondered what other goodies she wanted. Then it came to her.

"I want a bathroom and a center room that has pictures and a workspace for the doll," she said. "She works at the library and needs space at home because some of her clients, they come to her office and want books."

Tiona's sister, Neveah Edwards, 4, said wanted a Barbie Dream House "and a make-up thingy and a princess dress."

"A princess dress for the doll?" she was asked.

"No," she said with conviction. "For me."

One of the 150 or so people who attended the tree-lighting event at the plaza, Pearlean Lett, who was also there with her grandchild, said she had just moved to Pine Bluff in March from Las Vegas.

"It's good to move back home," she said. "I like it all right because I'm a quiet person anyway."

The lighting countdown then began and many people got out their phones to record the moment. And once the lights were illuminated, the tree served as a backdrop for selfies and group pictures, some taken with Santa.

Mayor Shirley Washington then welcomed the crowd and encouraged everyone to sing along with her as she led the way on two verses of Jingle Bells.

As she started, she sang a cappella, but Wilson quickly caught up with her on his keyboard and away they and the singers went.

"Mr. Wilson really knows how to dress a song up," Washington said with a laugh at the end.

The Santa Run fire truck will start making its way around the city this week. (Pine Bluff Commercial/Byron Tate)
The Santa Run fire truck will start making its way around the city this week. (Pine Bluff Commercial/Byron Tate)


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