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Enthusiasm surges along Doyle Street as the 2020 Toccoa Christmas Parade is just minutes away from starting. This year’s parade will be held Saturday, Dec. 4, at 10 a.m.
BY TOM LAW
THE TOCCOA RECORD
Get ready for a blitz of Thanksgiving through Christmas traditions observed by the Toccoa-Stephens County community.
The tradition-rich season actually kicked off Sunday, Nov. 21 when families and individuals began decorating Christmas trees in honor of family members and friends and exhibited at Emory Johnson Park on Whitman Street.
The project is spearheaded by Deidra Scott. Once the trees are decorated, a Christmas in the Park will be held at a later date.
The busiest four days of the holiday calendar comes Dec. 2-4.
That’s when the Christmas in the Park event at Paul Anderson Memorial Park jump starts the holiday period celebration on Thursday, Dec. 2.
After a two-year hiatus, the Varsity returns to Toccoa, on Thursday, Dec. 2, for the Lighting of the Park Christmas Tree event.
The Paul Anderson Memorial Park board of directors is proud to sponsor this annual community event that raises funds for the care and maintenance of the park.
Lunch will be served from 10:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. and supper will be served from 4-7 p.m.
Tickets are $10 each and may be purchased from any board member or at RADC or the Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce.
Santa Claus will be returning as our special guest, as well as a performance by Company and Kids of Rhythm Dance Academy Company.
Also performing will be the First Baptist Church 4-year old preschoolers, a choral performance by Stephens County Middle School Chorus, and caroling from the Stephens County High School football team and cheerleading squad.
In connection with the Varsity meal, there will also be a raffle for various prizes, including $1,000 from Edward and Paula Schafer.
Other raffle prizes will include a Big Green Egg donated by the Caudell Family, men’s and women’s bicycles donated by 1st Franklin Financial Corporation and Habersham Bicycles, and a 55-inch flat screen television donated by LeCroy Educational Technology.
Guests can also participate in the silent auction which includes various items from local and surrounding businesses and individuals.
Look for a detailed list in the Thanksgiving issue of The Toccoa Record plus some of the larger items listed online.
The following night -- Friday, Dec. 3, Toccoa Main Street’s Christmas Fest takes center stage.
Christmas Fest is staged 6-9 p.m. Friday and continues Saturday.
It’s guaranteed to ignite the Christmas spirit for all who attend said Main Street special events coordinator Sharon Crosby.
Take in the sounds of the holiday season during this special evening as carolers stroll the streets and stores throughout the evening, serenading the shoppers.
A carriage will take you through the town’s historic district to see the beautifully lit streets.
The carriage rides are $1 for children and $3 per adult and begin on Doyle Street near The Toccoa Record.
A live nativity allows children to enter the manger, pet the animals and experience what it may have been like on the first Christmas.
Santa drops in for a visit and pictures on Doyle Street and personally collects letters from excited children. Also for the children,
Santa’s Express train will take the little riders around the town.
The Festival of Trees is celebrated every ChristmasFest, too. Visitors are asked to vote for their favorite from an assortment of beautifully decorated trees.
Admission is free but it is $1 per vote. Proceeds of the contest will go to the charity or nonprofit organization represented.
The winning tree will receive a grand prize sponsored by local businesses. Musical entertainment is also offered throughout the evening.
The highlight of Saturday, Dec. 4 will be the 2021 Toccoa Christmas Parade.
Grand marshal for this year’s parade is paralympic gold medalist McKenzie Coan.
The parade is sponsored by the Toccoa-Stephens County Professional Women and the Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce.
The parade will start in downtown at 10 a.m.
Steeped in tradition and Christmas merriment, The Toccoa Symphony Orchestra will hold its annual Christmas Concert, along with an art show and sale, on Sunday, Dec. 5 at the Alford Grace Performing Arts Center on the campus of Toccoa Falls College.
The concert, entitled A Christmas Festival of Music & Art, is the first concert of the 2021-2022 concert season.
The concert is presented by 1st Franklin Financial.
The festivities kick off at 2 p.m. with the art show and sale hosted by members of the Currahee Artists’ Guild.
Meet talented artists while shopping for a special gift for everyone on your list.
Pottery, paintings, photography, fine craft and more will be featured. Holiday refreshments will be served.
At 4 p.m., the orchestra, led by conductor William David Stufft, will take the stage.
The orchestra will perform White Christmas, Let it Snow, The First Noel from the movie The Savior, Sleigh Ride and more.
Yurii Henriques, assistant professor of music education at Toccoa Falls College, will serve as a guest conductor for the piece Fantasia on We Three Kings.
And, in keeping with the long running TSO tradition, the audience is invited to sing-along with the orchestra as they perform well known Christmas carols.
The much-anticipated highlight of the evening is the performance of the Toccoa Community Choir led by Dr. Thomas Council, dean of professional studies and professor of choral music.
The 75--member choir will fill the concert hall with sounds of the season singing The Christmas Song, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, One Small Child, O Come All Ye Faithful and other favorite Christmas songs.
For the finale, the audience is invited to join the orchestra and choir on stage to sing the ultimate Christmas song, Hallelujah.
Tickets for the A Christmas Festival of Music & Art for adults are $7 in advance and $10 at the door.
Children and students are $3 in advance and $5 at the door.
Advance tickets are available at the Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce Welcome Center, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Or, tickets can be purchased online at www.toccoasymphony.org.
Members of the Toccoa Symphony Orchestra are admitted free as a benefit of their membership.
Visit toccoasymphony.org for details as to how to become a member and support the ongoing viability of the TSO.
The Toccoa Symphony Orchestra is a full- sized orchestra of 50-60 talented musicians led by conductor William David Stufft.
Founded in 1977, the orchestra performs three concerts per season featuring “pop” tunes and classical symphonic music selections.
The orchestra also holds a fund-raising event, The Mardi Gras Gala in February and a summer outdoor concert Patriotic Pops in late June.
Special guest vocalists and instrumentalists frequently join the symphony providing the residents of northeast Georgia with a first-class musical experience.
The Toccoa Orchestra Guild is a member supported 501 (c)(3) nonprofit.
For more information, visit: www.toccoasymphony.org or contact us at: toccoasymphony@gmail.com.
And, don’t forget about the Christmas lights display in Martin.
The town sports almost a full mile of lighted Christmas decorations along Historic Highway 17’s route downtown.
The lights are visible from Thanksgiving until the start of the new year.
Martin also sports a town Christmas tree decorated for the season in a festive manner.