VIDALIA — Christmas joy will be spread to all the boys and girls of Concordia Parish this weekend, as Natchez, Vidalia and Ferriday host their annual Christmas parades.

The Vidalia Christmas parade, organized by the Vidalia Women’s Club, will be 3 p.m. Sunday.

Lineup for the parade begins at 2 p.m. at Vidalia Upper Elementary School. The grand marshal will be Monelle Mosley.

The parade will travel down Carter Street and end at Vidalia High School.

Heather Lancaster, a member of the Vidalia Women’s Club, said Vidalia and Ferriday have decided to share the parade’s theme, which will be “Ol’ Fashioned Christmas.”

“This way people participating in both only have to decorate once,” Lancaster said.

The theme showcases Christmas candy classics like lollipops, candy canes and peppermints with an old-fashioned spin Lancaster said.

Another big change for the Vidalia parade comes with different judging categories for the floats.

Instead of having separate categories for large and small floats, the Vidalia parade will have a first, second and third place for all floats.

A spirit award will also be awarded for the first time.

The prizes will be $100, $75 and $50 for the first, second and third place floats and the spirit award will be $25.

“With the doing away of small and large floats, we wanted to have something else to give,” Lancaster said.

Going into her third year as organizer, Lancaster said she looks forward to the parade every year.

“It is a rewarding experience,” Lancaster said. “I enjoy seeing the smiling faces of the kids that come to watch the parade, especially when Santa rides by.”

The Ferriday Christmas parade, organized by the Ferriday Chamber of Commerce, will be 10 a.m. Saturday.

Lineup for the parade begins at 9 a.m. at Ferriday High School. The grand marshal will be Joe Sontoyo.

The parade will leave Ferriday High School and go down E.E. Wallace Boulevard and will turn left onto Louisiana Avenue.

From Louisiana Avenue, the parade will turn left on First Street and return to the high school.

The parade will give first, second and third place cash prizes for both large and small floats.

Floats 14 feet and smaller are considered small floats, anything above 15 feet is considered a large float.

The prizes will be $100, $50 and $25 for the first, second and third place floats in the large category, and $50, $25 and $15 for the first, second and third places in the small category.

Rena Pitts, parade coordinator, said she enjoys organizing the parade and giving back to her community.

“It’s a good way to kick off the holiday season with a Merry Christmas,” Pitts said. “The smiles and the laughter of the children make it worth it.”

Following the Ferriday parade, children age 10 and under can have their picture taken with Santa in the Rockabilly Plaza.

Santa will arrive at noon and will be providing gifts for children participating.

Musicians will begin playing at the Plaza at 12:15 p.m.

The Natchez Christmas parade is also this weekend, at 6 p.m. Saturday.