Santa Claus will come calling on all the children of LincolnCounty and the surrounding area when he joins with the chamber ofcommerce for a parade Thursday in Brookhaven.

The holiday parade begins at the downtown post office at 7 p.m.Thursday and winds through the streets along the same pattern as inyears past, said Rita Rich, Christmas parade committee chairman forthe chamber. It ends on Monticello Street near the Lincoln CountyRegional Public Library.

“We’ll begin lining up around 5:30 p.m., and they’ll startclosing the streets around then,” she said.

Rich said she did not have an exact count on the number ofentries registered but knew there were “well over a 100” alreadysigned up.

There is no set deadline for registering, so entries willcontinue to come in until the evening of the parade, she said.

“It’ll be a festive kick off for the Christmas season,” Richsaid. “We’ve had some beautiful entries before, and I expect we’llhave more this year. I’m hoping we have a lot of float entries. Thefloats and the bands are what make a parade.”

The Copiah-Lincoln Community College Band and Colettes and highschool bands from throughout the area are expected to attend.

Rich is also excited about this year’s lineup of guests.

Chad Simmons was chosen as this year’s grand marshal, Rich said,because he is a popular local entertainer. Simmons is presentlypursuing a recording contract in Nashville.

As usual, Miss Merry Christmas, LeWaire Harvey, will lead theparade and Santa Claus will end it.

Miss Mississippi Allison Kellogg of Madison, Simmons and Harveywill be at the Chamber of Commerce offices at 6 p.m. to talk withparade-goers and autograph-seekers before the event officiallybegins, Rich said.