By Martin Couch
Christmas bells are ringing already at the Bryant Chamber of Commerce.
Last Tuesday, the Christmas Committee for the Chamber met to set plans[more] for the city's Christmas Parade, Nativity set up and decorating. Lori Lemons is the chairperson.
"There is a change from night to day for the parade," Bryant Chamber of Commerce executive diretor Rae Ann Fields said.
The Christmas parade is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 4, at 10 a.m.
"Line up will be at the Bryant Middle School parking lot and the parade will go up Sullivan, turn right onto Reynolds Road, turn right onto Northwest Fourth Street and right on Wise to Boswell to School Road and back to the beginning point at the parking lot by the football stadium."
The nativity is set up on the corner of Highway 5 and Reynolds Road at the First Security Bank's lawn. Decorations are banners on the utility poles.
"We've had them for about four years," Fields said. "We used to have lighted decorations, but Entergy doesn't allow that anymore due to liability issues with electrical usage."
This will be the 36th year the town has decorated for Christmas and held a parade. The Nativity started eight years ago.
The Christmas Committee will be setting up the Nativity and decorating at Farmstead on Thursday afternoon, Nov. 18, at 3.
"We need helpers who can loan a truck, power tools, muscle and their afternoon to get both areas completed," Fields said to fellow Chamber members or anyone willing to help out. "We will meet at the Chamber to load the Nativity enclosure and figures which takes a trailer and three trucks. And we’ll send someone with a truck to the city barn to obtain the lighted Christmas panels that hang on the barn there.
“If you are able to help, please come assist the committee,” she urged. “The window of time to work is short with the time change making it dark earlier."
