Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade

Evelyn Simmons of Hazlehurst, known as the woman who started Peaches to Beaches while she served on the Jeff Davis County Board of Tourism, has been chosen as the 2018 Christmas Parade Grand Marshal by the Hazlehurst-Jeff Davis Chamber of Commerce. The parade will be held Dec. 8 at 6:30 p.m.
Evelyn was inspired in the year 2000 when she and her husband Braxton Simmons drove the length of the World’s Longest Yard Sale that starts in Alabama and goes through Ohio. She attended the Yard Sale again in 2001, talking with vendors and learning what worked for them and what didn’t.
Evelyn was president of the Golden Isles Parkway Association when the event began in 2005. The original route was from Brunswick to Perry. The route is currently over 200 miles long and includes 11 counties.
“It took three years meeting with Chamber and Tourism officials in all the counties to get it going,” says Simmons. “Our intention was to showcase Hazlehurst and have one of the largest sites here in Jeff Davis County as well as bring attention to each of the 11 counties on the route. It still warms my heart to see it growing every year.”
The theme for this year’s parade is An Old-Fashioned Christmas. Participants and groups must fill out an official entry form for the parade and pay entry fees with the Chamber of Commerce. Entry fees are $20 for Chamber members and $25 for non-members.
Lineup begins at 4 p.m. at Jeff Davis High School football field on Pat Dixon Road. Entries must display some type of Christmas/holiday decoration. Candy throwing is allowed but take precaution when throwing candy into the crowd. Large floats require two adults walking along either side of the float for safety.
In the event of rain, parade will be held Dec. 10 at 6 p.m.
Santa will be displayed on the fire truck – please do not include any Santa costumes in your parade entry.
Parade numbers will be given out as you register. The decal should be visible from the outside right front windshield on parade night. Parade entries will not be allowed to advance in the parade if decal is not displayed.
Entries will be judged on creativity and decoration according to theme. There will be one winner in each division who will be recognized at the December City of Hazlehurst Council meeting.
The parade will begin on Pat Dixon Road, travel to South Williams Street turning north onto Williams Street, travel to SW Railroad Street, turn south onto Tallahassee Street, continue to W. Jefferson Street and turn right to Pat Dixon Road and end at the parking lot where the parade began.
Contact the Chamber of Commerce at 912-375-4543 for more information on the Christmas Parade.