Santa hands out candy during the 2023 Mount Olive Christmas Parade. Seven Springs will host the first Christmas parade of the holiday season at 3 p.m this Saturday. The Mount Olive Christmas Parade will be held on Saturday, Dec. 7, and the Calypso parade on Saturday, Dec. 14. (Steve Herring|mountolivetribune.com)
Seven Springs will kick off the Christmas parade season when it holds its annual Yule march this Saturday at 3 p.m. followed by the Mount Olive Christmas Parade on Saturday, Dec. 7, and the Calypso parade on Saturday, Dec. 14.
There is no cost to participate in the Seven Springs parade.
However, organizer Ronda Hughes prefers that people call her at 919-222-9290 to enter, but said that people can show up on parade day and she will find a spot for them somewhere.
“It’s never too late,” she said. “If they want to be in the parade, just show up. We won’t turn people away. We already probably have around 85 or 90 entries.
“Of course, we allow candy to be thrown, and we are the first Christmas parade of the year.”
The line up will start at 2 p.m. on at the Main Street bridge over the Neuse River and entries need to be lined up by 2:30 p.m., Hughes said.
The route will follow Main Street, turn on West Spring Street to Azalea where it turns onto Herring Street. It follows Herring Street crossing over Main Street to Simmons Street then back on East Springs Street to Main Street.
The parade is held rain or shine.
The town’s annual Christmas Tree Decorating Ceremony will be held at 6 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 30, at Seven Springs Baptist Church on. N.C. 55 East.
“It is open to everyone,” Hughes said. “It’s a community event, and if you want to bring an ornament with your family’s name written on it, or in memory or honor of someone, you can put it on the tree.”
The ornaments are saved from year to year and are used to redecorate the tree, she added.
Santa will be at the event and a live band will provide music. Finger foods will be served and people can bring food, Hughes said.
“Of course, at the beginning we also remember the ones we lost over the year,” Hughes said.
Mount Olive
Mount Olive’s Christmas celebration will get under way with a tree-lighting ceremony at the Southern Bank Parklet at the corner of East Main and South Center streets. The annual downtown celebration will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6.
Activities will include Santa Claus; letters to and photos with Santa; Fairy Hair; The Grinch; cookie decorating; marshmallow roasting; Pickle Train rides; popcorn, chips and drinks.
The event is free to attend, but small fees will be charged for food, drinks, photos and Pickle Train rides.
On Saturday, Dec. 7, the parade line up will begin at 9 a.m. at Carver Elementary School, 400 Old Seven Springs Road. The parade, sponsored by the Mount Olive Area Chamber of Commerce, will step off at 10 a.m.
The parade line up order is first-come, first-served with the first 25 spots reserved for parade dignitaries.
The route will follow Old Seven Springs Road to North Church Street to East College Street and then both sides of Center Street before disbanding at James Street.
The east side of North Center Street in front of Wells Fargo will be left open for handicap parking or senior citizens who cannot walk far.
Parade applications are available at the Chamber office, 123 N. Center St., and the entry deadline is Nov. 25.
The categories and frees are:
Vehicle/homemade float: non-profit/church fee, $35; commercial (organization whose main purpose is for-profit business) fee, $60;
Motorcycles/ATVs/golf carts: non-profit/church fee, $15 per vehicle; non-profit group fee, $80 (maximum of 10 vehicles); commercial fee, $20 per vehicle;
Horse group/non-motorized group: one horse fee, $15 (must provide clean up for horses or a $30 clean-up fee will be assessed.); group fee, $40 (maximum of five horses, then an additional $5 fee per horse);
Walking groups/bicycle groups: $15 per group;
Emergency vehicles/elected officials/partners in education/marching bands: no charge.
Fire departments may enter a maximum of two entries.
Any entry that is 30 feet or longer may have difficulty maneuvering the downtown streets.
Entries may only play Christmas music and no one is to be dressed as Santa.
Send all entry forms and fees to: MOACC, 123 N. Center St., Mount Olive, N.C. 28365 by the Nov. 25th deadline, or a $30 late fee will be assessed.
Checks should be made payable to Mount Olive Area Chamber of Commerce or MOACC.
For more information, contact the Chamber office at 919-658-3113.
Calypso
Calypso will celebrate Christmas in the Calypso on Saturday, Dec. 14, beginning with the annual Wreaths Across America Ceremony at 11 a.m. in the Calypso Cemetery.
It will be followed by a flag-retirement ceremony.
The second annual Calypso Fire Department Christmas Parade will step off at 3 p.m.
The line up will be on North First Street at 2 p.m.
There is no cost to participate.
For more information or to place an entry, call Roy Cottle, 919-223-3003; Cody Hall, 910-915-5793; Brooke Hall, 919-252-9909; Jason Hughes, 919-252-90822; or Paul Ray Myers, 919-658-3003.
The parade will start on North First Street, turn left on East Albritton Street, left on Northeast Center Street and then left on Trade Street back to First Street.
The department is accepting new unwrapped toys for children in hurricane devastated western North Carolina.
The gifts may be dropped off at the fire station or a drop-off area on First Street on the day of the parade, Cottle said.
“We are giving out two awards — one for the (entry from) farthest away and one for the nicest float,” he added.
Participants must be 21 years or older to drive in the parade.
Christmas in the Park will follow the parade.
The event will be held at Albritton Park where people can visit Santa, create Christmas crafts and enjoy hot chocolate.
It also will feature local entertainment and activities for a children and tree-lighting ceremony.
