By Joel Spears

ROGERSVILLE — Santa will ride into town for a pre-Christmas visit on Saturday, December 6 as Church Hill and Rogersville kick off the holiday season.
    At 11 a.m. Church Hill will host the city’s annual Christmas Parade while Rogersville puts the finishing touches on an Old Fashioned Christmas.
    According to Nancy Barker, executive director of the Rogersville / Hawkins County Chamber of Commerce, the event will include caroling, a live manger scene, a children's Christmas store and Santa himself on the Town Square beginning at noon.
    Christmas on the Square, sponsored by the Rogersville Main Street Program, will include strolling carolers, pictures with Santa from noon until 3:30 p.m. and a live nativity scene complete with animals from noon until 4 p.m., sponsored by East Rogersville Baptist Church and Hope Community Church.  
    Santa Land Christmas Shop, a small open-air store where children 12 under can purchase affordable gifts for their families, will be located on the Town Square as well.  Santa's helpers will assist children in making their purchases, in wrapping their gifts and in making a Christmas ornament for their trees.  The Santa Express will be available for train rides and elves will sell popcorn, cotton candy, and drinks throughout the afternoon.
    The Rogersville Christmas Parade, sponsored by the chamber is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. with the Cherokee Lady Chiefs Softball Team as Grand Marshals. 
    Following the parade, Joyful Sounds, the bell choir of the First Baptist Church, will perform carols as Rogersville Arts Council conducts a traditional Yule Log ceremony. 
    The lighting of the Town Christmas Tree will be at approximately 6 p.m. on the Courthouse Square accompanied by Christmas music and the reading of the Christmas story by Jim Bowman.
    The Parade of Trees will also be on display in the lobby of US Bank from 1 p.m. until 6 p.m. on December 6 and during the bank's regular business hours from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. from December 8 through December 18.
    Applications for the Parade of Trees are available at the Chamber Office.  Youth groups and school groups are encouraged to participate and be eligible for cash prizes.
    Groups or organizations that would like to enter the parade and have their floats judged are encouraged to call the Chamber of Commerce at (423) 272-2186 for an application.  The deadline for applications is Friday, November 28, 2008; winners will be eligible for cash prizes. 
    Participants in the Christmas Parade will line up at Rogersville Middle School on the corner of East Main Street and Warrior Street. 
    At 4 p.m., the parade will make its way down Main Street and end at the International Playing Card and Label Company parking lot on the corner of West Main Street and Armstrong Road. 
    For more information or to receive a free holiday visitors guide to Christmas activities in Rogersville, call (423) 272-2186.
    Additionally, the Surgoinsville Volunteer Fire Department Christmas Parade will  be held the following Saturday, December 13 at 11 a.m.
    Fire Chief Jason Johnson encouraged everybody interested in participating to line up at the parade site by 10 a.m.  There are no entry forms or fees required to participate.
    Also on December 13, the Mount Carmel Christmas Parade will make its way down Main Street from Hardee’s to the Mount Carmel Fire Department building on Hammond Avenue.
    Line-up for the parade begins at 3 p.m. followed by the parade at 4 p.m.
    A reception will be held following the parade in the fire department building, where trophies will be awarded to winning parade entries.  Winners must be present to receive a prize.