The City of Picayune and Picayune Main Street are putting the final touches on this year’s Christmas on the Rails and Shop by Candlelight.
The event will be held next Friday Dec. 5 beginning at 7 a.m. with a pancake breakfast hosted by the Kiwanis of Picayune at Southern Char.
Children will shiver with delight when Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive at Jack Read Park on Goodyear Boulevard via fire truck at 5 p.m.
Shop by Candelight begins downtown at 5 p.m. and the streets will be lined with glowing luminaries.
The downtown merchants participating in Shop by Candlelight are Barze’ Antiques, April’s Art, A&A Gifts, Crystal Gallery, Latino Grocery, Angel’s Place, Shay’s Thrift Store, Bre’s Clothing and Accessories, Mississippi Power, Bonnie Blue Boutique, Glass Porch, Dancewear Connection, Kimono Dragon, Melinda’s, Now and Then, Nostalgia, Infused, Sew Sassy and Faith Platinum.
Those shoppers who wish to relax between destinations can hop aboard the Lincoln Express Toy Train Rides and Old Timey Stage at Jack Read Park with stops from Goodyear Boulevard to West and East Canal.
The route begins at Jack Read Park, continues west on Goodyear, then south on Norwood and ends with a stop at the new Mississippi Power building. The next stop will be West Canal at Quince and from there the route will continue across the rail road tracks to E. Canal and Hwy. 11 for another stop. Riders are then taken from East Canal to Curran, where there will be another stop. After the Curran stop, the train and coach will turn north onto Haugh, west on Second Street and then west on Goodyear Boulevard. The next turn will take riders south on Rester with a stop in front of City Hall. The route will end at Jack Read Park.
Pegasus Carriage Company will be on hand to whisk riders away for a ride down the boulevard.
The Whitmanville Christmas Village will be on display at the former Checkered Lily location.
During a visit to the village, the Picayune Rotary Club will be taking Christmas pictures with two different backgrounds including one from the Disney movie “Frozen.”
The Greater Picayune Arts Council will have an artwork display and craft station downtown and the Pearl River County Arts League will host an art show at April’s on Hwy. 11.
Union Baptist Church’s hand bell choir and children from Wee Wisdom Learning Center will deliver holiday performances.
Learn more about this event by visiting the Facebook page at Christmas on the Rails and Shop by Candlelight.