"CHRISTMAS IN COLUMBIA" SET FOR DEC. 4, 5, 6

The Columbia-Adair County Chamber of Commerce's annual extravaganza to welcome in the holiday season, "Christmas in Columbia," will be held Dec. 4th, 5th and 6th this year.
According to Ron Heath, co-chairman of the event, this year's celebration will include some new events as well as popular ones from the past, and will be geared toward children.
"Our philosophy this year is that Christmas is for kids, so we're trying to do everything we can to get them excited about the holiday," Heath noted. "There are going to be groups helping kids make Christmas crafts, there will be pony rides, a puppet show, Santa's Dream Shop, and, of course, an appearance by Santa Claus.
"The theme of our night-time parade this year is ‘Christmas Dreams' so that it is also geared toward children," he continued.
One of the new events added to this year's celebration, an old-fashioned Christmas dinner that will be held Friday night at the Trabue-Russell House.
"The dinner will be a fund-raiser for the courthouse renovation project, and will get underway at 6 p.m.," Heath explained. "The Trabue House will be decorated with period decorations, and the meal that will be served will consist of foods that would have been served at a country Christmas dinner in the 1800s. The servers will also be wearing period costumes."
The cost for the dinner will be $25 per person or $45 per couple. For ticket information contact Lee Ann Jessie at 384-2472 or Ellen Zornes at 250-3400.
Another new event added to this year's celebration will be a Christmas in Columbia Pageant, which will be held at Dream Depot. The pageant will have categories from birth through five months through age 22 years. More information and a registration form will appear in Thursday's issue of the paper.
Saturday's events will kick off with the Columbia Rotary Club's annual breakfast, and will be followed by different events all day long.
There will be arts and crafts and goodies booths located in various buildings on the Public Square, food vendors will also be on the Public Square, and there will be entertainment throughout the day.
"This year we'll have a tent on the square, so people can sit and eat while they watch local groups perform," Heath noted.
This year's celebration will also have home and business decorating contests, a giveaway of $300 in Chamber Bucks that can be redeemed at local businesses, a Christmas show at Dream Depot, and old fashioned carriage rides. The highlight of the evening will be the annual Christmas Parade.
"During the Christmas parade, the Adair County Band will perform the program they will do at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York," Heath noted. "They will be doing the performance at the top of Jamestown Hill at the intersection of Jamestown Street and Russell Road, and on Burkesville Street in front of the Chamber of Commerce building."
The Christmas in Columbia celebration will end on Sunday, Dec. 6th with the Columbia Woman's Club annual Home Tour, artists' open houses at Highland Raku Studio and Hearts Image Studio and Gallery, and a Christmas play, "Christmas at the Cricket County Café," at Antioch United Methodist Church.
Following are deadlines and information on how to register for various events at the celebration:
•Arts/Crafts and Goodies booths: $25 for an 8x10 inside spot, $35 for outside food vendors. Registration deadline is Friday, Nov. 27. For details, contact Nancy Cozby, chairman, at 385-9213 or the Chamber office at 384-6020.
•Home Decorating Contest. Categories - Best Interior, Best Exterior and Best Use of Lights. First place winners receive $100 and a plaque. Deadline for entries is Dec. 1st. For more information or to register contact Sheila Hare, chairman, at 384-4399 or the Chamber office.
•Christmas Parade. Theme this year is "Christmas Dreams" and over $1,800 in prize money will be awarded. The deadline to register a unit in the parade is Nov. 30. For more information or to register, call the Chamber office at 384-6020.
See upcoming issues of the Adair Progress for more information on Christmas in Columbia.