The holiday season closes in DeSoto County
By Bailee Harris
As Christmas comes to a close, the DeSoto County News team wishes you a Happy New Year.
Here is a recap of some of the wonderful events businesses and organizations have hosted over the past month.
Hernando hosted their annual tourist attraction, Hernando’s “Dickens of a Christmas,” at the start of November to kick off DeSoto County’s holiday season. Visitors were able to participate in our Christmas tree lighting, ice skating, Christmas Farmer’s Market, and historic tours of the downtown.
“Buy A Tree, Change A Life” at Silo Square occurred in conjunction with Healing Hearts Child Advocacy Center, raising money through the purchase of Christmas trees. Hometown baseball hero Austin Riley made an appearance in order to contribute to the cause.
Southaven, Olive Branch, Hernando and Walls hosted their annual Christmas parades for local spectators to enjoy. Hundreds of businesses, schools, and organizations all participated in these festive celebrations. Horn Lake joined in on the fun by hosting their yearly Christmas tree lighting celebration.
Dedicated officers and command staff of the Olive Branch Police Department participated in “Shop with a Cop,” where they paired with local families to assist with picking out toys and presents.
Chief of Police, Bill Cox, stated, “Shop with a Cop is our biggest outreach of the year. It’s an opportunity we have to give back to the community and make sure that children who wouldn’t be able to have a happy Christmas can have a happy Christmas.”
Among other joyous celebrations, local animal shelters created initiatives to promote the adoption of their animals for Christmas, local business owners shared their favorite holiday recipes with locals, Christmas shopping in holiday markets were a huge success, and nonprofit organizations such as Mike’s Bikes spread holiday cheer to those who needed it most.
The Christmas season was a success in DeSoto County this year, and DeSoto County News wants to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Bailee Harris is a journalism student at Ole Miss-DeSoto and a contributor to desotocountynews.com
