Picayune Civic Woman’s Club is prepared to put on their annual Christmas parade where floats, marching groups and decorated vehicles will tour the city streets.

The parade will take place Dec. 3, promptly at 6 p.m. and is limited to 75 entries, 34 of which will be floats, said Civic Woman’s Club Parade Chairperson Darlene Adams. All available slots for the parade have been filled.

Other participants in the parade will include decorated cars, trucks, marching groups and horses.

As per tradition candy will be thrown during the parade, while some people will also throw beads, Adams said.

Awards will be presented to the decorated floats, marching groups, horses and vehicles. They will be decided by a panel of out of town judges. Awards such as Best Overall, Best Decorated Vehicle, Mayor’s Award, Judge’s Award and President’s Award, among others, will be announced just before the parade, Adams said. Spectators will be able to see what parade participants won which award the night of the parade.

This year’s Grand Marshall will be Connie Tapley, who was chosen as Club Woman of the Year.

The parade’s route will take the traditional path, which begins on Goodyear Boulevard then turns right on U.S. 11 heading south where it will turn right onto Bruce Street. At the intersection of Bruce Street and Main Street the parade will turn right onto Main Street and head to Canal Street where the parade will turn left onto West Canal Street. The parade will end at Goodyear next to the hospital, Adams said.

Each year the parade raises funds to purchase items for the community. Adams said last year’s funds purchased 12 interlocking steel barricades, which were donated to the Picayune Police Department. The Civic Woman’s Club will work to purchase enough barricades to line the entire route of the parade, Adams said.

“Every year we’re going to use the proceeds to purchase more barricades,” Adams said.

Using the barricades during the parade will prevent any injuries sometimes described in other communities during their parades.

The police department will also have the barricades on hand to be used for any other activity or emergency, thanks to the Civic Woman’s Club.