NATCHEZ — With a little help from Coca-Cola, Santa traded his sleigh for big red truck covered in Christmas lights to visit children on the bluff in Natchez Thursday.

The Coca-Cola Christmas Truck Tour made stops around Natchez this week, culminating in a free event with Santa on the bluff sponsored by Coca-Cola and the Natchez Tricentennial Commission.

Santa had his hands full throughout the event with a line of children stretching down Broadway Street hoping to get in their final wishes before Christmas and take a photo in front of Coca-Cola Christmas truck.

Jordan Rachal and her children Christopher Green, 9, Naomi Green, 7, Philip Rachal, 6, and Victor Rachal, 3, and nieces Ava Ngom, 9, and Aaliyah Christmas, 7, braved the cold weather to snap a photo with Santa and play on inflatables set up on the bluff.

“It’s really nice, and they have enjoyed themselves and seeing Santa, and the truck is just beautiful,” she said.

Sarah and Nicholas Cain brought their 2-year-old daughter, Dalylah, to see Santa and enjoy free cookies and Cokes.

“It’s so nice that they do stuff like this for kids, because there’s not a lot to do here,” Sarah said. “And I think it’s really great that they’re having a coat and toy drive to help the flood victims in Louisiana.”

As part of the event, Coca-Cola asked attendees to bring toys and coats for victims of flooding in Louisiana this year.

Janna Atkins with Coca-Cola of Natchez said the Christmas truck tour visited Natchez last year, but the company wanted to host a special event in honor of the Natchez Tricentennial, while also helping flood victims.

“Coca-Cola United is the company that owns us, and they very much believe in family and community,” Atkins said. “We will continue to have the Coke truck here every year. Last year, we had it in town, and this year we wanted to incorporate the tricentennial and make an entire event around it.”

Tricentennial Director Jennifer Ogden Combs said the event embodies the mission the tricentennial has been trying to accomplish throughout 2016.

“The event really is a part of what we’ve been trying to do all year long — provide free events for everyone to come together and celebrate the things that make Natchez so special,” she said. “If you look around, you’ll see people of all different walks of life out here. To have Coke come up with this for us is huge.”

At the last major event before the tricentennial year comes to a close, Mayor Darryl Grennell said the tricentennial staff and community volunteers have made 2016 a year to remember.

“Jennifer and her team, they have really outdone themselves,” he said. “It’s going to be hard to beat this tricentennial year.”

The tricentennial will officially close out the year with the Unity, Prayer and Peace Celebration from 5 to 7 p.m. Dec. 31 at the Natchez City Auditorium.