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PERRYVILLE — As the Christmas season begins, the city of Perryville will be getting into the spirit with this year’s day-long Christmas bazaar, A Blue and Gray Christmas.
Much of the purpose of the event, according to Kayla Alcorn, is to highlight the “something special” of the city, which brings residents and visitors together.
“I’m not sure if it’s the nostalgia due to all of its history, or just the closeness of everyone in the community, but people love it here…We want to invite everyone to come visit and experience this for themselves,” she said.
Alcorn is a member of the board of directors for the Main Street Perryville program.
The festivities will be spread throughout Perryville, which is hosting the event for the third year. Beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday, there will be a breakfast with Santa at the Battlefield Station Marathon next to Farmers National Bank.
It will continue from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Brummett’s Warehouse, offering visitors the opportunity to purchase food and gift items, many handmade crafts created regionally. There will be church youth groups on hand at the warehouse, offering gift-wrapping services.
“You can buy your Christmas gifts and get them wrapped all in one location,” Alcorn said.
Attendees also can enjoy storytelling at the historic Karricks-Parks House on Merchants Row from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The celebration boasts a parade on Second Street at noon, train rides for children, commercial and residential decorating contests, an art exhibit at the Community Center, and even gingerbread house competitions “just for the fun of it.”
“Who doesn’t love to make gingerbread houses?” Alcorn asked, explaining that people often think their own creation is the best out there. “Why not throw in a little competition to prove it?”
Gingerbread houses will be divided into age categories, starting with the 7 and under group, then 8- to 12-year-olds, and ending with the adult group. The winning entries, first through third place, will be displayed Dec. 3-7 at Farmers National Bank in Perryville.
Another returning tradition of the day will be the Christmas Pilgrimage, in which participants are invited to travel to eight different churches in Perryville. Through those visits, a production resembling the Christmas story will unfold to observers. It begins at the Church of God at 6 p.m.
At 8:30 p.m., the festivities will begin winding down as the tree-lighting ceremony takes place. There will be refreshments in the Community Center following the lighting.
For more information on Saturday’s events, call Vicki Goode at (859) 332-1862 or Kayla Alcorn at (859) 319-9966.