12/05/2011 – Groups, churches, businesses, schools come together to celebrate Christmas

Georgetown County’s Christmas festivities officially got underway this past weekend.

The Town of Andrews started early by having their official tree lighting ceremony Thursday evening.
Georgetown was next in line as hundreds gathered along Front Street Saturday for the annual Christmas parade.
The celebration drew community groups, churches, businesses and schools from all over the county.

Dance performance

The event began with a performance of exerpts from The Studio of Dance’s the Nutcracker. The dance company had given multiple performances at the Winyah Auditorium Friday and entertained the crowd Saturday morning before joining in the parade themselves.
Parade

Once the parade itself got underway, viewers got to see classic cars, motorcycles, nativity scenes, horseback riders, beauty queens and dogs dressed at reindeer. Some groups passed out balloons and others threw candy. Kids clapped and danced to the beat of marching bands from Georgetown, Waccamaw and Carvers Bay high schools.

Tree lighting

County residents returned to Front Street Saturday night to take part in the Christmas tree lighting ceremony. The party began early as the Bell Legal Group offered up fresh pastries and hot chocolate to the crowd.
Monte de Satidad, the youth choir of Bibleway Church, and the Indigo Choral Society all entertained with Christmas songs, from “Feliz Navidad” to “Jingle Bells.”

At 7 p.m. City Council member Peggy Wayne gathered everyone around the tree as Jay Smith, youth pastor at Screven Baptist Church, read the Christmas story from the Bible. Marcy Carl sang “O Holy Night” before Smith prayed and the tree was officially lit.
Jeb Bell, whose father Ed Bell donated the tree to the city this year, had the honor of flipping the switch and turning on the 21,000 lights that fill the 22-foot Fraser fir.

Murrells Inlet held its annual parade Sunday afternoon. Following the march down Bussiness 17, the community gathered at Morris Landing Park to light their tree and enjoy refreshments as well as the company of Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Participants in both parades were asked to give a new toy to Toys for Tots as an entry fee for the parade allowing the people of Georgetown County to truly make a huge impact for the charity.
Georgetown still has a lot to look forward to, with the Andrews and Sampit Christmas parades coming up soon, as well as holiday open houses and next Saturday’s annual Jingle Walk down Front Street.
By Christy Anderson