By Niclole Daughhetee
Staff Report

COUNTY — December is just around the corner, and local municipalities throughout Pickens County will usher in the Christmas season with family-friendly annual parades and events.

Easley will host its Grand Illumination and Downtown Merchants Open House Christmas celebration this Friday, Nov. 30. Horse-drawn carriage rides (starting at the park at Pendleton Street) and live entertainment festivities begin at 5:30 p.m., and the tree-lighting ceremony will take place at 7 p.m. in front of city hall.
Saturday, Dec. 1, the Easley Christmas Parade, themed “Home for the Holidays” begins at 10 a.m. and will trace a new parade route. With the closing of the Easley High School on Pendleton Street, a new parade route has been designed.
The parade floats and lineup will start in the parking lot behind Alice Mills’ corporate office and Easley First Baptist Church. From this starting point, the parade will go up Bradley Avenue to Main Street, turning left on Main all the way through town to a left on South 1st Street, and then West on 1st Avenue, ending on Pendleton Street.

The town of Six Mile also has two separate days of Christmas events scheduled for this week. Thursday, Nov. 29, from 6-8 p.m., Six Mile Town Hall will host the town’s annual Old-Fashioned Christmas celebration, a free event that includes free photos with Santa, refreshments and Christmas entertainment, including the lighting of the town’s Christmas tree.

Two days later, on Dec. 1, Six Mile’s Christmas parade will make its way down Main Street, beginning at 10:30 a.m. There is no entry fee, and all entries must have a holiday theme. For more information, contact Dora Duncan at (864) 868-2349.

Central has also scheduled its parade for Dec. 1, with line-up beginning at noon at Mt. Zion cemetery across from Plez-U and the parade starting at 1:30 p.m. No applications are necessary, and registration will be taken the day of the event.

On Tuesday, Dec. 4, at 6 p.m., the city of Liberty will holds it annual Christmas parade, with line-up beginning at the old Liberty High School at 4:30 p.m. Applications are available at Liberty City Hall.

On the same evening, Dec. 4, at 6 p.m., Clemson will also present its 19th annual Christmas Parade. Pre-parade festivities will begin at 5 p.m. in front of the Planning and Codes Administration Office located at 365 College Avenue, with caroling and lighting of the Christmas tree. Deadline for all parade entries is Tuesday, Nov. 27. The entry packet, filled with information about the parade, including guidelines and the entry form, is available through the city of Clemson’s website at http://www.cityofclemson.org/parks-and-recreation/christmas-parade or by calling (864) 624-1120.

On Saturday, Dec. 8, the town of Norris will feature “A Groovy Christmas” parade at 11 a.m. The parade begins on Highway 93 off of Garvin Street and ends at Depot Street by the bridge. For more information, contact Norris Town Hall at (864) 639-2033. Town Hall is open Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Dacusville will also host its annual parade on Dec. 8, beginning at 2 p.m. with the theme “Candy Cane Christmas.” Entry forms can be picked up at the Handee Mart and Dacusville One Stop, and entry fee is $15 ahead of time or $20 on the day of the parade.

The city of Pickens and the Pickens Revitalization Association (PRA) will host their annual Christmas Parade, themed “Christmas Lights,” on Saturday, Dec. 15 at approximately 6 p.m. For more information on parade entry and guidelines, please visit the city of Pickens’ website at http://www.cityofpickens.net/ or the PRA website at http://historicpickens.com/.