Parade, other activities on tap for Saturday

The Christmas season in Tucumcari officially will begin Saturday with the city’s annual Light Parade, along with other activities throughout the day as part of Small Business Saturday.

“Our hope is to have enough people stay here and shop in town on Saturday,” Tucumcari MainStreet director Connie Loveland said.

The traditional big event is Christmas Light Parade at the 6 p.m., organized by the Tucumcari/Quay County Chamber of Commerce.

Parade entries will line up at the Legacy Church parking lot near Lake Street and East Tucumcari Boulevard.

The parade will proceed west on Tucumcari Boulevard, turn north onto South Second Street and end at the Tucumcari Historic Railroad Plaza.

Bobby Hockaday, one of the parade’s organizers, said Monday that about 20 entries have been entered so far, with more expected.

For information on entering the parade, email [email protected] or call (575) 461-1694 by Friday.

Christmas activities will follow at the depot about 7 p.m. Saturday, with a visit by Santa Claus. The First Baptist Church will offer free cocoa and cookies to children who visit St. Nick.

Those going to the depot after the parade are asked to park in the lot behind VFW Post 2528. Organizers want to keep Railroad Avenue accessible for the parade entries.

The chamber and Tucumcari MainStreet said customers should be on the watch for flyers to find other local shopping deals.

The depot also will host a Tucumcari MainStreet Merry Market from 1 to 8 p.m. Saturday, which includes dog photographs with Santa at 1.

Loveland said a total of 10 vendors will be in the depot during the market.

Well before the parade, Tucumcari MainStreet and the chamber are organizing Very Merry Tucumcari activities from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday. Activities include:

— Kandel’s Street Sips at 112 W. Main St. offering a chance to decorate a gingerbread cookie;

— Sands-Dorsey Park at Second and Main streets having a QR code on display so users can scan it with their smartphones and listen to a Christmas story;

— Jackalope Coffee Haus at 201 S. Second St. offering a free hot chocolate;

— Blanco Creek Boutique at 201 S. Second St. offering a chance to decorate an ornament for a Christmas tree;

— Goodies Go Last at 711 E. Tucumcari Blvd. offering a chance to decorate a pastry.

The chamber also is offering a chance to win Santa Cash to those who register or shop at five businesses in Tucumcari.

Those who register or spend $10 through Dec. 7 at Goodies Go Last, Blanco Creek/Jackalope, Kandel’s, Frost 5 Lemonade and Brow Arch Thou can win a $25 gift certificate for one of those five businesses.

Kandel’s, plus Rollerz Only and the Raza Unida car clubs, will host a toy drive along with pictures of Santa from 2 to 5 p.m.

The Odeon Theatre will host a free screening of “The Grinch” at 3 p.m.

Blanco Creek Boutique is selling tickets to possibly win this year’s Miss Very Merry Tucumcari Doll and her extensive wardrobe, a long city tradition that was revived last year.