Here are all the Mississippi Coast holiday events for those who ‘need a little Christmas’
The coronavirus is canceling some Christmas events this year but the holiday spirit remains in South Mississippi.
Christmas will be different, yet pictures with Santa, boat parades and some outdoor festivals are among the celebrations and traditions in South Mississippi that will carry on with masks and social distancing.
The King Family Christmas Display returns to Woolmarket this year, with Santa social distancing.
Edgewater Mall has found a way to offer safer visits with Santa this year. A piece of 4-foot by 8-foot Plexiglas will provide a shield and protect families and St. Nick “because he is in one of those high risk categories,” said Alyssa Rose, event coordinator at the mall. Kids will sit on a bench in front of Santa, and the camera will be adjusted to eliminate glare.
Gov. Tate Reeves’s executive orders requiring masks and other restrictions apply to 62 counties including Harrison, Jackson, Stone and Pearl River counties.
Those rules include:
- Masks must be worn in all public places.
- Indoor gatherings of 10 people or more are prohibited.
- Outdoor gatherings of 50 people or more are prohibited.
The State Department of Health also has issued statewide guidelines:
“All residents of Mississippi should avoid any social gathering that includes individuals outside of the nuclear family or household. MSDH recommends that Mississippians only participate in work, school or other absolutely essential activities.
“MSDH recommends that all Mississippians protect themselves and their families by avoiding public or social gatherings such as the following:
- Social events or parties
- Family gatherings outside of the household or nuclear family
- Weddings
- Funerals (other than close family and preferably outdoors)
- Sporting events
- In-person church services
Those people, organizations or businesses who break any of those guidelines could be legally liable for injuries or deaths, state officials have said.
Here is a list of holiday events that will be celebrated this year in South Mississippi and those canceled:
Canceled
- Harbor Lights in Gulfport. Jones Park will have Christmas lights through Dec. 31
- Downtown for the Holidays in Pascagoula Dec. 4
- Family Movie Night in D’Iberville Dec. 4
- D’Iberville Christmas Parade and Santa’s Workshop Dec. 5
- Discover Christmas Parade in Ocean Springs Dec. 6
- Waveland Christmas Parade Dec. 12 (as well as Food Truck Friday Dec. 11)
- Diamonds and Ice Charity Ball in D’Iberville Dec. 10
- New Year’s Eve party and fireworks at Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum, Biloxi
Ongoing
▪ Starting Thanksgiving Day — A&W Christmas Tree Farm, 13001 Forts Lake Road, Moss Point. Choose and Cut. Open for special visits and photos. 251-751-2596
▪ Through December — Christmas at the Aquarium. The new Mississippi Aquarium on U.S. 90 in Biloxi has a variety of holiday events: Extended hours Wednesday-Saturday, Dec. 2-23. Tickets are $25 for adults and $12.25 for kids from 3-5 p.m. Pics with St. Nick Dec. 2-3, 9-10, 16-17 and 23 from 3-6 p.m. and Dec. 6, 13 and 20 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., includes holiday craft and holiday story time. Winter Camp for kids age 5-11 is Dec. 21-24 or Dec. 28-31, from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Extended care available until 5 p.m.
▪ Dec. 1-31 — Holiday Lights at Jones Park in Gulfport 6-10:30 p.m.. Movie nights Dec. 4-5, 11-12, 18-19 and 22-23. Santa visits Dec. 4-5, 11-12, 18-23.
▪ Dec. 12-30 — King’s Christmas Display is open from 6-10 p.m. and admission is free. Santa will visit at a safe distance Dec. 12-13 and 19-20. Bring letter to Santa with your return address and drop it at Santa’s Village. Free coffee for the adults and candy canes for all. Details: 228-860-2263
▪ Thru Dec. 30 — Creepy Christmas Tour, 6149 Central Ave, Bay St Louis. Sail down Bayou Caddy and hear distrubing legends and ghost stories of Christmas past. Hour long ride with hot chocolate and cookies. Four times a day from 2-6:30 p.m. Call ahead to schedule tour at 228-363-9533
▪ Thru Dec. 31 — 35 Days of Christmas & Trains at Mississippi Coast Model Railroad Museum, 522 Pass Rd, Gulfport. Train and Lego exhibits and outdoor train rides. Requested donation of $5 for adults and $2 for children 5-9 p.m.
▪ Thru holiday season — Festival of Lights at the Perkinston Campus of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community. This year the community is invited to drive through campus to see the light displays along Perkinston Boulevard and the President’s Circle. Christmas music will be provided through a private radio station.
▪ Thru Jan. 1 — Snowflakes in the Bay. Live oak trees decorated with illuminated snowflakes in downtown Bay St. Louis, on Depot Row in the Bay and in the Waveland area.
▪ Thru Jan. 17— Ice skating at Coast Coliseum, U.S. 90, Biloxi. A limited capacity of 130 skaters will be allowed per session, and masks are required for anyone entering the building. Admission is $13, including skate rental. Bobby the Seal ‘skate aid’ rental is $10. Visit the website for the full schedule and to book a skating party. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
December
▪ Dec. 21-23 — Holiday Break Mini-camp at Walter Anderson Museum of Art, Ocean Springs. Three-day festival from 9 a.m.-noon focuses on holiday motifs and the landscapes and living things that emerge when the nights are long and the temperatures drop. Cost is $75 per person or $60 per member. 228-872-3164
▪ Dec. 29 — Christmas at 1450 Dinner & Pantry Dedication at de l’Epee Deaf Center, 1450 North St., Gulfport. 5 p.m.
New Year’s Eve
▪ Dec. 31 — Countdown to Noon outside on the grounds at Lynn Meadows Discovery Center, 246 Dolan Ave, Gulfport. Music, snacks, a New Year’s craft, falling confetti and a ball drop at noon for kids. Cost Included with museum admission. 10 a.m.-noon.
▪ Oyster Drop and Fireworks. Plans are still on for the celebration at 200 North Beach Restaurant in Bay St. Louis
Send holiday events to mynews@sunherald.com.
This story was originally published November 13, 2020 at 5:50 AM.
