Derrick Miller
VELMA — Whether in a red sleigh or on the back of a red fire truck, Santa Claus is coming to town.
The town in question is Velma, which will be having its annual Christmas parade at 11 a.m. Saturday. The parade is just part of the festivities the town has planned to celebrate the holiday season.
Mayor Shawn Enloe said, “We’re definitely excited about having the parade. It’s usually a good turnout.
“It’s a chance for folks to come out and get together.”
This is Enloe’s first holiday season as mayor. He said he’s grateful to have some council members who have been on the board for several years because they should provide aid to the events.
The town will have a house lighting contest to bring the Christmas spirit to Velma. For people to participate in the lighting competition, Velma residents have to turn their holiday lights on by 6 p.m. Friday, which is when judging will start. Cash prizes will be awarded to the winners of the competition.
The next step to celebrating the holidays will be the Christmas parade on Saturday. While the parade starts at 11 a.m., parade entries will begin lining up at 10 a.m. on the east side of town. Enloe said Pete Hall, council member, will be in charge of lining up entries, like he has done for several years.
As with the lights competition, cash prizes will be awarded to the winners for best float and various other categories.
Santa Claus will wrap up the parade. At the end of the event, people will get their opportunity to meet and take pictures with Santa at the town’s war memorial.
The holiday season will reach its climax at 6 p.m. Saturday, when the town has its community Christmas dinner. The dinner will be in the Velma-Alma School cafeteria.
While the meal is open to the public, people should bring a covered dish and a dessert for the dinner.
During this program, the winners from the house lighting competition and the Christmas parade will be announced. The prizes will also be awarded at this time.
The dinner will also bring to a close a food drive for the Velma Community Outreach Center. Enloe said this is the town’s effort to get a food bank started in Velma. People can take non-perishable items to Velma Town Hall or to the community Christmas dinner. People can also pick up applications from Velma Town Hall to se if they qualify.
For information, call Velma Town Hall at 580-444-3393.
— Derrick Miller is a reporter for The Duncan Banner. He can be reached at 580-255-5354, Ext. 160, or via e-mail at derrick.miller@duncanbanner.com.
