Town Talk Church Point
Town Talk Church Point
Celebrate the Season: Church Point's Holiday Extravaganza
Light display in Central Park begins Friday after Thanksgiving
Christmas Parade + festivities are Wednesday Dec. 11th at 6pm
Ever wondered how a small town transforms its holiday celebration into a bustling community event? Join us as we host the Mayor on Town Talk, revealing the journey of Christmas in the Point, a beloved Church Point tradition that has captured hearts and boosted local businesses over the past five years. Discover how local partners like McBade Engineering, Kirkpatrick Construction, and the local hospital have come together to create enchanting displays such as Candy Cane Lane and a grand Christmas tree. This year, the festivities are not just about decorations; they include a dedicated radio frequency for festive tunes, a night parade with vibrant floats, and a myriad of food vendors.
With the holiday spirit in full swing, we explore the magic of the night parade, reimagined to illuminate the streets and draw thousands of spectators. This edition brings a unique twist with entries like a pickleball players' float, making it a must-see spectacle. After soaking up the parade's vibrant atmosphere, unwind with movies at the park and enjoy the community's offerings around the Splash Pad and Depot area. As the holiday season approaches, we extend our warmest greetings for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year, inviting our listeners to join the conversation on the Town Talk Facebook page. Share your ideas, get involved, and embrace the joy that Christmas in the Point brings to our community.
Happy Thanksgiving, Mayor. Welcome to another Town Talk podcast.
Speaker 2:Cutting that turkey. Cutting that turkey. The Trifta fan is kicking.
Speaker 1:Did you think that we would make it to the holidays this quick?
Speaker 2:No, it feels like we did last Christmas, one about a week ago.
Speaker 1:This year flew by. Thanksgiving is not that far away. Christmas is not that far away, 2025 is not that far away and this town talk episode is about christmas in the point.
Speaker 2:That's right our annual christmas event that's right, we've been doing it. What about five years? Oh, we started with just three or four little yeah things, and then we added a tree the next year, and now we're getting quite a big display.
Speaker 1:My guess would have been four or five. Yes, yeah.
Speaker 2:I mean, like I said, it started with an idea I had a long time ago about bringing positivity to the town and just something that brings people to Church Point and maybe go eat at the restaurants that we have or, you know, buy a six-pack at the local gas station or whatever it may be, you know, but that's spending money in town and it's bringing people to town with a positive light.
Speaker 1:Now Christmas. In the Point, there's a lot to it because there's a lot going on through what I'm going to call the holiday season and we're going to talk about the parade and the date and all that stuff coming up. But let's almost start in a timeline and let's start with Central Park, the decorating of that, the huge tree, candy Cane Lane, all that stuff, because if people are driving around town I'm sure they noticed the polls going up and some of the work starting.
Speaker 2:So let's start there and candy cane lane right now we're starting to where we've been working on it for about a week and a half now. We've got about a little bit left, but it's going to be ready and open the day after thanksgiving. You know we have people. You know why y'all starting so early because this is not something that takes two days to do. Yes, this takes a month and planning three or four months. You know we've been, I've been dealing with it all year. You know you want new attractions. This year we have some sponsored items. We got some really cool stuff that's coming up that has never been seen before again.
Speaker 2:Like I said, our first year we had just like a little snowman that was three circles yep, yep, it wasn't that big, it was it was just something you know and it it kind of it was doing good and every year we get a little bit more detailed, a little bit more buy-in. This is the first year that we've had three companies come and want to partner, buy something and we display it. So we'd like to thank those people. That's McBade Engineering, kirkpatrick Construction and the hospital, which the hospital has a big 16 foot by 20 big display.
Speaker 1:Really.
Speaker 2:Oh, it's massive, Exciting. Yeah, it took two trucks to bring it in Nice. It's not your little, nothing, you know.
Speaker 1:So residents can't expect for it to look a little bit different? Oh, there's no doubt.
Speaker 2:There's no doubt, and we're expanding it. Candy Cane Lane the streets are closed between Main Street and Harkish Street, but what we're doing is we're infiltrating the Presbyterian with more decorations and even to the across the street with the pond. So we're expanding a little bit every year. But this year, like I said, you're going to see some pretty intricate stuff mcbade engineering they donated the uh american flag yeah, so that's the one that's up, uh, on on the side of the presbyterian.
Speaker 2:Okay, yep, that's great, it's an awesome piece, and kirkpatrick built a big uh like Dump truck.
Speaker 1:Nice.
Speaker 2:So they kind of theme in it after their businesses and stuff. So it's the buy-in starting to happen. I mean this is not something that happens overnight. I mean it came with an idea and three or four little ones, and then six or seven and 12, and now we're at 20, something you know.
Speaker 1:And I know that was always your vision for it to grow every year. And obviously you had to start somewhere. Yes, but every year you're going to see something a little bit different, maybe a little bit bigger, maybe a little bit better.
Speaker 2:That's right. That's right and that's what we're doing. Like I said, we have a man out there that's going to open it up, close it down. Sunday to Thursday is going to run from 5 to 11. And Friday and Saturday is going to run from 5 to 11. And Friday and Saturdays is going to be 5 to 12. Okay, and like last year, we were having an average of about 400 to 500 cars on a Friday and Saturday night. So it's a big to-do and, like I said, all year long I hear people from all over the place. I mean Abbeville.
Speaker 2:You know, people are looking for for lights and it's not like you see those streets, like when we were young right to where you see, yeah people would decorate and you'd go down these neighborhoods and really it would be spectacular, you know. But now you, there's not that much buy-in, no. So people go to mancos park. Well, they go one night over there. Then they'll come to us, you know. Then they'll go here, they'll go there. You know, it's just something to get the families out during the christmas season and it's just.
Speaker 1:I think it's exciting and one thing we're going to do this year too we're going to have it to where people driving through can tune their radios to a certain frequency and they get the music in their, in their cars.
Speaker 2:Yes, that's gonna be working on all that right now and, like I said, we're in the midst of construction, right? Now like anything like this.
Speaker 1:It seems like it's chaos until the day you open it right, then it all levels out and it all like comes together you know, one thing I do want to bring up, just like every year, and something we want to make the public aware of, is still is it Bienvenue right there which passes in front of OSLH Church?
Speaker 2:Yes, that is going to be closed at Rue Irelagin. So just like every year, you're going to have to detour around there. Just turn off on the boulevard and the entrance to the church, which is normally on Harkey. That will be open but it will be crowded, so it would be probably better to go on the Rogers side of the church parking lot.
Speaker 1:Anything else we need to know about Candy Cane Lane.
Speaker 2:Just come on out. You're gonna see a lot of differences and I think you're gonna enjoy it. I think it's a great thing.
Speaker 1:So again, that is going to open up the friday after thanksgiving, so that's going to be on november 29th yes and from what you said, from sunday to thursday, from 5 to 11. And then Friday and Saturday, 5 to 12, 5 to midnight Extended hours there for the weekend and also part of Christmas in the point. If you're okay with, we'll move to the annual now annual nighttime. Christmas parade that was something else that you had a vision for a few years back.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was four years back four years ago, me and chief dale were talking and and we were like why don't we do a night christmas parade? And it was just like I think it'll be a lot nicer. Just, you know, because in all honesty, the other one was during the day. It was on on a Sunday. During the day. It was a nice parade, but it just wasn't that much participation and at night, for some reason, the people just come out for it. I mean, you've been there. I mean thousands of people that line the streets for that event and it's a good event, yeah, large floats like actual parade floats are in there.
Speaker 1:I think last year there was a little bit more participation than the previous year so it seems to be growing. The people who play pickleball had their own float, that's right. I mean, it was just a nice parade last year.
Speaker 2:And it's not a long one, you know, and it's not a huge route. Yeah, and it's not a long one, you know, and it's not a huge route. So anybody standing anywhere can walk to the after event and enjoy it there. Now we're working on who's going to be out there, you know.
Speaker 1:I'm pretty sure Pizzaville is going to be out there again, but we're working with getting more things, you know, and that always comes a couple weeks before, right, and we'll talk about it again, but it's going to be the same route as we've been doing every year since we started the night parade. So it's going to start on the boulevard next to OSLH Church, yep. Then it's going to take Rogers in front of our Mother of Peace, then take a left on 35.
Speaker 2:35 with Plaquemine.
Speaker 1:Plaquemine pass in front of Piggly Wiggly. Continue on through the red light pass in front of Spanky's and Former State Bank. Then again take a left on David. That's right.
Speaker 2:Then go all the way down David and then pass in front of the Central Park area, the Doll Park, the Splash Pad, the Depot, that area.
Speaker 1:Then take a left on what's powm then, continue on through which turns into rue irie legion has in front of that part of central park, turn again on rogers and then wrap up at the church. So it's, it's one big block, big square.
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah, and that was designed, that a way to where it's center of town. Anybody can ride their bikes, walk whatever, and if you're parking, even at Piggly Wiggly, it's not a hard walk to get to the depot for the little after, show you know, we normally do, like a movie at the park and stuff like that.
Speaker 2:We're working on that Again. That's going to all come out right at the end, but there'll be something there. There'll be vendors there. I think it'll be a great evening. And I mean, let me say like this we're at the end of November and we're still in the 80s, so I don't know if it's going to be a cold one or not.
Speaker 1:It's like at this point of the year it goes up and down. We hit a little cool snap and then it gets hot for longer than we got the cool snap and we might get another little cool snap again. But you know, who knows? The splash pad might be open.
Speaker 2:We might have coats or the splash pad might be open Crazy thing this morning Last week I told the guys I said, before we start moving all the decorations, cut the grass Because that'll be the last cut of the year moving all the decorations cut to grass because that'll be the last cut of the year. And uh, we'll be good. You know well, this morning we're moving stuff.
Speaker 1:I said we gotta cut the grass again.
Speaker 2:I think it's gonna be the last one of the year, but you never know, probably not probably not.
Speaker 1:As always, when we talk about this every year, obviously we're hoping for cool weather because, you know, people get in the spirit don't get me wrong, but when it's cooler or if it's cold, it puts you more in the spirit. But after the parade we'll have a lot of the same festivities as we've had over the past couple of years. Like you mentioned, the movies. We'll have food vendors, All that's going to be around the Splash Pad and the Depot and that area and then, once we have a lot of the vendors finalized, we'll put that on our Facebook page, on our website, and we'll let everyone know and maybe we have somebody listening right now. Maybe they want to be a vendor. What?
Speaker 2:should they do? Just contact City Hall. Contact City Hall, okay, and they can get it done there and look if there's any spirit groups that want to do something. We're open, yep, and we're in talks with a few people to maybe do some special events not on December 11, maybe on different days, you know.
Speaker 1:So, as we get something secured or a date set, we're going to go ahead and put it on the Facebook and on the website and so keep in touch with all that, because there's gonna be a lot of cool events or we're hoping to where we're trying to we're trying to, but we're trying to get that done right now and then also for for that night on the 11th when we have the parade, all the activities after the presbyter is going to be open as well yeah, well, like the 30 days is going to be decorated, all this stuff, but I don't want people to think that the presbyter is not open for business because of because candy can lane and all that, yeah like we know we have a person there every day from 11 to 4, then we have people, people there on Saturdays and stuff.
Speaker 2:So the schedule that they had before will be the same. Normally Mr Fonte does a good job in decorating the Presbyterian to make it nice and, like I said, normally for the parade they're open, got all the lights on it kind of looks nice. I mean having that lit up ties into everything else that's around the area and the thing that people have told me over the years is like a Hallmark movie yeah, which I don't watch Hallmark movies.
Speaker 1:No, me neither but.
Speaker 2:I've been told that that's what it looks like. So if you do watch Hallmark movies, that's what it reminds me of.
Speaker 1:I wonder if there's a way like all the lights and I'm just thinking here maybe I shouldn't say this but like all the lights right, which is in the walking track in Central Park. You know how they're white, yeah Is there a way to make them like red and green?
Speaker 2:We've thought of that, but those do not have that. That's a standalone.
Speaker 1:Okay, Okay. Yeah, I was thinking about that just now. I'm like man, that that would be kind of cool.
Speaker 2:We actually have to turn those off for the Christmas.
Speaker 1:Okay, okay.
Speaker 2:Because they're so bright. It takes away from the from the lights and everything. So, like they say, the helipad, uh, it goes dark, goes dark for a month.
Speaker 1:But anything else we need to add.
Speaker 2:I think it's just that time of year. Just pay attention to what we're doing, because we're going to have some great things coming.
Speaker 1:Yep and again still follow Town of Church Point on Facebook, churchpointorg. That's the website. You will be able to sign up for the parade. We're going to have a forum there, like we always do. If you want to be a vendor after the parade for the festivities, you can call city hall for that or even seven six, eight, four five, six, nine, two.
Speaker 2:You could do that, or you could send it to the uh the website yep, yep on the. Is it the complaints?
Speaker 1:the the complaints page. But you can fill out, we take positivity at the complaints phase two.
Speaker 2:So it's just a way to get to us. So if you're interested, either call City Hall or go on the website and fill out a complaint, but just say what you're looking to do and that gets to us, so that'll help out.
Speaker 1:I'm excited for this to happen again. It's time, man. It's time it's growing. Thank you so much, man. Happy Thanksgiving, man. It's time it's growing. Thank you so much, man. Happy thanksgiving, merry christmas, happy new year. I can't believe I'm saying that yeah already, man already, but here we go and if you have anything you want want us to address on town, talk again. You can go to the town of church, point facebook.