‘Tis the season to ride around the community viewing the beautiful lights of our neighborhoods. I don’t know about you but this is still one of my favorite things to do during the Christmas holidays.
The annual Christmas Festival is back in Canton this year. “The City of Lights” is back and even brighter than ever before. Get ready to see the most beautiful, bright, and vibrant lights in the state of Mississippi. Along with that, activities for you and your family to enjoy throughout the holiday season!
The festival has already begun. Its opening nights were on Friday, November 24, 2023, through Sunday, November 26, 2023. If you missed this, don’t fret. You’ll have the opportunity to witness this festive event as it reopens again starting December 1, 2023, through December 23, 2023. If you enjoy cider, the 17th Sip ‘N Cider event will be taking place on Friday, December 8!
Fan favorites and more
Some fan favorites will be returning this year, such as the fire truck and train rides that take you on a joyride around the square, the Victorian carousel, and the sky race. In addition to this, Santa Claus is coming to town, on select dates, for photos. Make sure you’re picture-ready with your Christmas list!
This year’s festival includes some additional features which include:
- A thirty-two (32) foot caterpillar
- Rudolph’s playground
- Tommy sledding reindeer
- Santa’s Cookie Stop (including an array of treats such as hot chocolate, cookies, and various exciting holiday activities)
- Sixteen (16) foot walk through Snowman
- Eighteen (18) foot walkthrough gift box
If you plan on taking pictures with Santa, you can get packages for great prices! A digital download of all your files is a total of $45.00. As for the others:
- One 4 X 6 is $10.00
- One 5 X 7 with four wallets is $20.00
- Two 5 X 7 pictures with eight wallets are $30.00
- One 8 X 10, two 5 X 7 pictures, with eight wallets is $40.00
Pictures with Santa can be taken on December 1 – 2, December 8 – 10, and December 15-20.
Tickets must be purchased to participate in certain events. They will be sold at the welcome center and outside. The prices are as follows:
- $2.00 per ticket
- $25.00 per sheet of 20 tickets
- Train ride: 2 tickets
- Fire truck: 2 tickets
- Carousel: 2 tickets
- Sky race: 2 tickets
- Cars: 2 tickets
- Village: 5 tickets
- Carriage: 5 tickets
T-shirts will also be sold at the welcome center, but there is a limited supply, so make sure to arrive early to purchase yours!
Places to eat and stay
If you will be staying in Canton for a few days for the festival, remember that Canton has some phenomenal locally-owned places to eat. These places include Marlo’s Backyard Barbecue, Two Rivers Restaurant, The Daily Scoop Ice Cream Shop (for dessert), Canton’s Donuts (for breakfast), and Penn’s to Go. Check out these delicious places, plus more, for a taste of Canton’s best cuisine!
In addition to this, you can book your Air BnB at “The Building” on the Historic Canton Square (3354 N. Liberty St.) if you’re looking for somewhere to stay during your celebratory excursion.
Santa Claus has arrived to town
Christmas is knocking on our doors, friends. Rather, it is coming down the chimney! Will you be partaking in the gleeful holiday celebration in Canton this year? If so, what activity are you looking forward to? Let us know on Our Mississippi Home’s Facebook page!
In addition to this, if you’d like to know more about the Christmas festivities, you can check out the website here along with emailing Canton Tourism at info@cantontourism.com. They can also be reached via phone at 601.859.1307 or 800.844.3369 and on their Facebook account for updates!
