Bands playing holiday music, Santa Claus and others tossing candy to bystanders, high school and college beauties and organizations and businesses with decorated floats helped town folk prepare to celebrate this special time of year in Wesson’s annual Christmas parade. Parade participants proceeded south to the Highway 51 stoplight from the old Sunflower building and Wesson Baptist Church, and reversed direction northward with trucks and vehicles from Copiah and Lincoln County volunteer fire departments and the Wesson Police and Copiah County Sheriff Departments in the lead and Santa Claus in the rear as the climax for whom everybody -- particularly the kids -- were waiting. In between were the Wesson High School and Co-Lin bands, interspersed with convertibles and other vehicles carrying, among others, Founders Day Queen Kayla Barfield, members of Wesson High School and Co-Lin homecoming courts and beauties and beaus from kindergarten through college freshmen and sophomore classes chosen in pageants at Wesson Attendance Center and Co-Lin; along with floats decorated for the season by varied commercial, faith, civic, service and social organizations carrying their workers, volunteers and members, many with children from the community on board as well -- the little ones who are readily awed by Christmas magic. The floats were numerous this year, including those built by the American Legion, the Wesson Junior/High School Beta Club, Butterbeans Wesson Garden Club youth organization, Copiah County government, Fastpace Healthcare and Mossy Oak Properties, among others. Then there were the cheerleaders who danced to the music and fired up the Christmas spirit of the spectators who lined the sides of Highway 51: the Co-Lin Wolf mascot, cheer squad and Collette dancers; and students from Nena Smith Studio.
Following the parade, Santa Claus brought a bag of goodies to the Wesson Volunteer Fire Department, where he met with children and punch and cookies were served. Friends of the Library also hosted an open house at Wesson Public Library, where Mrs. Santa Claus read stories to children.
Ken Carraway, as Chief of Wesson Volunteer Fire Department, which organizes the traditional parade, is the primary parade planner.
