Ronald McDonald House Charities kicked off the 2023 Augusta Christmas parade, Saturday afternoon, which started the holiday festivities in the Garden City’s downtown.
The procession started at about 1 p.m. at the intersection of Tenth and Greene streets, looping around at Telfair, trailed by Santa Claus atop an aerial platform of one of the Augusta Fire Department’s fire engines.
Nearby, at the corner of Eighth and Ellis streets, the Jessye Norman School of the Arts hosted its third annual 8th Street Holiday Artisan Market. Vendors, food trucks and artisans camped along the street, as well as inside the school, where artists sold their wares and Augusta Animal Services held a pet adoption event, all part of a major “community moment,” said Jessye Norman School Executive Director Gary Dennis.
By sundown, the Augusta Common was bustling with cheery locals in anticipation of the Christmas tree lighting. After a Christmas carol sing-along onstage with some young aspiring musicians alongside Mayor Garnett Johnson, conducted by DDA director Margaret Woodard, the tree at the Common was lit between a firework display at about 6:15 p.m.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
