It’s Christmas time in the cities, and decorations line the streets all over Gordon County.

Gordon County is preparing for the annual parades that are held around the county to kick off the Christmas season.

The Sixth Annual Fairmount City Christmas Parade will be Saturday, December 8 at 5:30 p.m. and will start at Mauldin Trash and finish up at Tate Park in downtown Fairmount.

There are two categories of registion. One category is the commercial category and is for businesses wanting to be apart of the parade, and the entry fee is $25. The second category is non-commercial and is for anyone who wants to join, and the entry fee is $15.

“Anyone is welcome to put a float in the parade, and choose his or her own individual themes,” Veronica Miller, who is in charge of coordinating the parade, said. “Our normal turnout for the parade is 10 to 15 floats.”

All someone has to do to register is go to Fairmount City Hall fill out an application, include what the theme of the float will be and pay the entry fee for the appropriate category, according to Miller.

Trophies will be given out for the first, second and third place floats in each category, and the three judges that will pick the winners will be chosen right before the parade begins. The judges chosen won’t have anything in the parade, according to Miller. and the trophies will be handed out at Tate Park after the parade is concluded.

There will also be special Christmas carols sung by the Sonoraville High School Chorus, and Bailey Townsend, a Sonoraville High School student.

For more information on the Fairmount City Christmas Parade call Veronica Miller at 706-264-3754 or Fairmount City Hall at 706-337-5306.

The theme for this year’s Calhoun Christmas Parade of Lights will be “Jingle Bells.” The Parade is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 13.

The parade has come to be one of the highlights of the Christmas season, according Shawn Mashburn, of the Gordon County Chamber of Commerce who is also one of the people in charge of coordinating the event.

Young and old alike will huddle up and hunker down as the parade winds its way down Wall Street.

Founded by Bud Owens and Ginger Loy in 1995, the parade is sponsored by the Northwest Georgia Regional Fair, the Gordon County Chamber of Commerce Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Downtown Development Authority.

Marching bands will thunder down Wall Street as the parade follows its traditional route, six-tenths of a mile stretching between Line Street and Maple Street.

The staging area for parade participants will be located at North Wall Street, between Red Bud Road and Line Street. The area will be closed to the public at 5:30 p.m., and the Calhoun City Police Department will join the parade marshals in controlling traffic flow as the parade participants enter Wall Street from Red Bud Road, falling in line for parade entrance.

All participants are encouraged to continue south of Maple Street as the parade ends, traveling either toward Highway 53 or turning on Oak Street to use River Street if they need to come North at the end of the event.

The entry deadline is 4 p.m. on Friday, December 7. Judging for six categories will take place along the parade route. These categories are: most musical, best Use of lights, best religious theme, best use of parade theme, most spirited and best overall.

Participants are required to submit a $20.00 application fee. Applications, rules and regulations are available at the Gordon County Chamber of Commerce located at 300 S. Wall Street or online at www.gordonchamber.org.

As always, the Parade Committee looks forward to providing a fun and safe, family-oriented holiday event. Check out the Calhoun Times Calendar for more Christmas activities in Calhoun-Gordon County this year.