“Tis the Season to be Merry,” the saying goes. Columbiana has many events this December to put you in a festive holiday spirit.

Columbiana Tour of Homes Dec. 6: This yearly event is sponsored by the Columbiana Beautification Board. The tour will be from 12:30 p.m.–4 p.m. and has five private homes and three public facilities, open to view including: Jonathan and Kelly Davis at 115 Ellis Farm Road, Rux and Amanda Bentley at 116 Arlington, Zack and Brandi Kellis at 207 East College Street, Gary and Jan Beane at 106 Hidden Springs Drive and Betty Hand at 102 Highland Drive.

Parade of Christmas Trees: The Columbiana Merchants and Professional Association will be providing refreshments at the Shelby County Museum and Archives, filled with trees decorated by the Culture, Novella, Vignette and Kiwanis Clubs and the Friends of the Library. The Southeast Shelby County Rescue Building will also be open to the public.

Tickets for the tour are $10 and are being sold at Busy Hands, Shelby County Museum, Sweet Bobby and Seventh Heaven. When your done with your tour, stop by the courthouse at 4:30 p.m. to watch the Elvin Hill Dream Dancers.

Seventh–annual Columbiana Christmas Parade: Parade starts at 5 p.m. at SCHS.

It will travel down East College Street, turn right onto Thompson, then left onto Carter to the Columbiana United Methodist Church. It will then begin down Main Street and back to SCHS.

Floats made by schools, churches and businesses will be judged in four categories: grand champion, best theme, best Christmas spirit and most original.

This year’s grand marshal is County Manager Alex Dudchock. He has the honor of lighting the Christmas tree in the center of town, decorated each year by Susan Conn of Main Street Florist.

“The Living Light”: On Sunday Dec. 7 at 6 p.m., the Columbiana United Methodist Church will present a beautiful Christmas Cantata of the birth of Christ.

“A Night in Bethlehem, a Hands–On Holy Land Experience”: On Sunday, Dec. 14, from 5–7 p.m. the church will transform the Fellowship Hall into biblical Jerusalem. Both events are free.

“A Time for Christmas”: The First Baptist Church of Columbiana is presenting a dinner theater Dec. 12–14 at 6 p.m. The musical is loosely based on Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol.” It stars Ed Oliver and Katherine Powell, and is directed by Charles Powell. Call 669-3128 for tickets ($10), which includes dinner and the play.

“Children’s Shopping Day”: Dec. 13, the arts council will open at 9 a.m. so your child can decorate an ornament. There will also be face painting, cookie decorating and carolers singing. Santa will be at Dr. Handley’s office from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. and a horse–drawn carriage will offer free rides from 5–9 p.m.

Christmas on Lay Lake: This twinkling treat will be Dec. 13 at 5:15 p.m. from Beeswax Creek Park. This annual parade of decorated boats is sponsored by the South Shelby Chamber and the Lay Lake HOBO. It will swing by Paradise Point Marinas around 5:50 p.m., Cedar Creek at 6:30 p.m., Okomo Marina around 7 p.m., and Bozo’s Marina at 7:35 p.m.

“Naughty or Nice” Day: Dec. 20, you can get that last minute shopping in with all–day specials at our local stores.

Phoebe Donald Robinson can be reached by e–mail at

phoeberobinson@bellsouth.net.