Hundreds turnout for Natchez Christmas tree lighting Saturday night
Published 7:47 pm Saturday, November 28, 2020
Attendees look at the Natchez Christmas tree shortly after it was lighted in a ceremony Saturday night in downtown Natchez. (Scott Hawkins, The Natchez Democrat)
Kejuan Hawkins, left, and Tony Fields, center, stand by as Natchez Mayor Dan Gibson addresses the crowd of people before lighting the Natchez Christmas tree in downtown Natchez on Saturday night. (Scott Hawkins, The Natchez Democrat)
Attendees look at the Natchez Christmas tree shortly after it was lighted at the Natchez Tree Lighting ceremony in 2020. (File photo | The Natchez Democrat)
Attendees look at the Natchez Christmas tree shortly after it was lighted in a ceremony Saturday night in downtown Natchez. (Scott Hawkins, The Natchez Democrat)
The Natchez Christmas tree shines as seen from N. Commerce Street shortly after it was lighted Saturday night. (Scott Hawkins, The Natchez Democrat)
Natchez residents turned out Saturday night in downtown to see the annual lighting of the Christmas tree. (Scott Hawkins, The Natchez Democrat)
People gather before the annual lighting of the Natchez Christmas tree in downtown Natchez on Saturday night. (Scott Hawkins, The Natchez Democrat)
Kejuan Hawkins, left, plays the keyboard while Tony Fields sings Christmas songs before the Natchez Christmas tree was lighted Saturday night in downtown Natchez. (Scott Hawkins, The Natchez Democrat)
Kinley McBride takes a picture of Tarsha Blanton before the tree lighting Saturday night in downtown Natchez. Both McBride and Blanton volunteered to carry sighs at the event reminding people to wear masks and keep a social distance of six feet to prevent the spread of COVID-19. (Scott Hawkins, The Natchez Democrat)
Carolyn Slack Myles carries a sign to remind people to wear masks and social distance to prevent the spread of COVID-19 during Saturday night’s annual Christmas tree lighting in downtown Natchez. (Scott Hawkins, The Natchez Democrat)
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NATCHEZ — Hundreds of people turned out in downtown Natchez Saturday night to take part in the annual lighting of the Natchez Christmas tree.
Volunteers wearing facial masks carried signs reminding people to wear a mask and to maintain social distance of at least six feet as Tony Fields sang Christmas favorites including “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer” and “Mary Did You Know” to the keyboard accompaniment of Kejaun Hawkins.
Natchez Mayor Dan Gibson gave some remarks as city worker Dustin Hinkle filmed the event for a live Facebook feed.
“Our prayers go out to those who couldn’t be here tonight,” Gibson said. “This virus has been a challenge to say the least, and it has affected many in our community.”
Gibson encouraged attendees to keep hospital staffers, health care workers and first responders who are exhausted from working through the COVID-19 pandemic in their thoughts and prayers.
“Over the past few days, we have seen our numbers going up, so we as a people need to be responsible,” Gibson said. “We need to do the right thing. We need to be grateful that our economy is open and we need to continue to do the right thing so that we can stay open in Natchez and be social and in this Christmas season be festive.”
Gibson said Christmas is a season of cheer and goodwill and also a season of being kind to one another before leading a countdown to light the Christmas tree to the cheers of spectators.
Natchez will hold a Christmas parade on at 6 p.m. Dec. 5.
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