John Willoughby: Greene Publishing, Inc.
Now that Halloween has passed and Thanksgiving draws near, the cooler weather is here and Christmas is on its way! To celebrate the holidays, the Kiwanis Club of Madison is announcing the 8th Annual Light Up Madison event for Saturday, Dec. 1. Families and children from surrounding communities are all welcome! This event will spark the beginning of the Christmas season, as the air is filled with magical excitement for people of all ages.
From 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., a colorfully-decorated city park and the pristine appearance of decorated Christmas trees will surely set the stage for a family-oriented good time. Multiple non-profit vendors will be on hand to sell some of your favorite foods and holiday treats. There are also plans to have games for the children with some small prizes to give away and, who knows, Santa Claus might even show up to fulfill Christmas wishes! Soon, it will be time to dress up in your favorite holiday attire, so bring your lawn chairs and have a fantastic time.
“Our goal is to provide a fun-filled evening with a wide array of activities at little or no cost for families,” said a representative of the Kiwanis Club. “Kiwanis is reaching out to our community to participate and help make this event better than ever.”
In addition to all the festivities, a donation of non-perishable food items for the Madison Food Bank and Backpack Buddies or a donation of diapers to be distributed to various local children's organizations will be collected by Kiwanians at Light Up Madison. Those who donate will receive one ticket per food item or one ticket per 10 diapers for a drawing at the end of the event.
Without the participation of the community in the parade, craft booths, games, rides, etc., Light Up Madison would not be possible. That's why the Kiwanis Club of Madison is asking for your support! Entries in the parade, which will step-off at 6 p.m., can be driven, pushed or pulled, but must have lights. A donation fee is applied. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, Nov. 28, and applications can be submitted to Kaitlynn Culpepper at Tri-County Electric Cooperative, located at 2862 W U.S. Hwy. 90, in Madison. You may also fax your application to (850) 973-1209 or email it to kculpepper@tcec.com.
Applications for food vendors, game hosting, activities and entertainment are due on Wednesday, Nov. 28, and are to be submitted to Darren Webb at the Madison County Community Bank, located at 301 E Base St., in Madison. All food vendors must be not-for-profit organizations. A donation fee applies as well. Set up time for vendors and other activities will be from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the day of the event.
Light Up Madison has become a large event, and it could not happen without the support of the community. If you are interested in participating or sponsoring, please contact Darren Webb at (850) 464-2367.