Dawsonville celebrated the start of the holiday season with its annual Christmas festivities Dec. 2. The Jingle Market saw many local craftsmen and artisans selling their unique items at the Dawson County Municipal Complex.
Free hot chocolate
and coffee was provided by Dawsonville Pool Room, one of the event’s sponsors.
Mountain Lake Church donated their time and sound system so the crowd could
enjoy the holiday spirit with some Christmas music.
With the streets lined with anxious spectators, the fifth
annual Christmas parade began without a hitch. Heading the parade was Dawson County Emergency Services and the sheriff’s office.
Santa and Mrs. Claus were the big finale of the parade. After they waved to all the children, parade spectators made their way back to the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame for the tree lighting.
Dawson County Chamber of Commerce President Christie Haynes announced the winners of the parade awards as everyone gathered around near the tree. This year, there were 37 entries, the biggest parade yet.
Harmony Baptist Church took home Best of Parade for their impressive Gingerbread house float.
KG Cleaning Solutions won the Most Creative award for
their superhero themed float. They also had the largest number of people in
their group.
There were four Best in Class awards, broken down into
the different modes of transportation. The Dawson County Rotary Club took home
the award for best float. The best walking group went to Cornerstone Schools
whose band performed throughout the parade. Circle D Farms won for best tractor
and Northstar Bicycle won best bikes/car.
Haynes said this year was the biggest turnout for the parade and tree lighting.
City Councilman Jason Power welcomed everyone to the night’s festivities and. He encouraged everyone to “appreciate each other, love each other and enjoy ourselves” and to remember the first Christmas.
Everyone anticipated the tree lighting ceremony. After the countdown led by Power, the tree in downtown Dawsonville was lit and met with cheers and applause from the crowd, marking the beginning of the holiday season.