Santa will be on parade Saturday

By Carrie A. Mizell

Dress in your holiday wear and bring a lawn chair to Bell on Saturday afternoon to catch sight of Santa as he rolls down US 129 in the town’s 30th Annual Christmas Parade.

According to Betty Ramey, organizer of the parade, there will be 70 entries in this year’s parade, “A Jingle Bell Christmas.” Bands will play, politicians and beauty queens will wave and children will ride floats in the annual parade, which serves as the official start of the Christmas season in Gilchrist County.
As in years past, the parade will travel down US 129 through Bell, beginning near the old Billy Bob’s and ending at Capital City Bank.
Come early; the streets will line with spectators of all ages anxious to catch sight of the jolly man wearing a red suit and shouting, “Ho! Ho! Ho!”
“It’s going to be a very exciting parade this year!” Ramey said on Tuesday. “We have a lot of new entries this year like the Chamber of Commerce and Senator Steve Oelrich.”
Christmas activities will kick off early on Saturday morning as Bell High School Criminal Justice students host a breakfast at the Bell Community Center beginning at 7 a.m. Side Street arts and crafts booths will be set up around Bell Town Hall, beginning at 8 a.m., so get ready to do some holiday shopping! Santa will arrive at the depot at 10 a.m. as the Philman Family Band performs.
Leading up to the Bell Christmas Parade, the Town of Bell will hold its official lighting ceremony on Friday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at town hall. Come and enjoy free holiday festivities, refreshments and live entertainment as Bell residents prepare to light up the town. Free door prizes, all donated by local businesses, Ms. Iris Roberts and the Town of Bell, will be given away throughout the evening. Bring a lawn chair and a warm blanket to enjoy the family fun event.