Dickens Christmas is Friday

Dickens Christmas begins this Friday in downtown Lebanon at 5:30 p.m.

The Lebanon-Marion County Chamber of Commerce’s annual chili cook-off will include the following participants: Big Jim’s Bar & Grill, Blues on Tap, Lebanon Jewelry, Lions Club of Lebanon, Marion County Arts & Humanities Council, Cathy Newton and World Finance Corporation.

Tickets for sampling can be purchased at Kandice Engle-Gray’s office located at 107 South Proctor Knott beginning at 5:30 p.m. until 6:45 p.m. Purchase a $4 ticket, sample all seven recipes, vote on your favorite and return the ballot to 107 South Proctor Knott by 6:45 p.m.

Other Dickens activities include:

• Jonesie with Around the Town Carriage will be back to do carriage rides for $5. Pick up will be at the Lebanon Post Office corner from 5:30-7 p.m.

• Leadership Lebanon-Marion County will offer hot chocolate at PCS. Lebanon Lions Club will have free hot dogs for all the children on the corner of Main Street and Proctor Knott Avenue.

• The Marion County Jr. Beta Club will be painting children’s faces.

• Washington County 4-H Young Riders will offer pony rides in the parking lot at Big Jim’s from 5:30-7 p.m.

• There will be a live Nativity Scene located at the Lebanon Methodist Church on Spalding Avenue.

• Ava Spalding, the 5-year-old daughter of Monnie and Chad Spalding, has been chosen to light the community Christmas tree at 5:45 p.m.

• The Christmas Parade will begin at 7 p.m. starting at Pic-Pac Motors and traveling east on Main Street to the post office. Santa will be the grand marshal and following the parade he will be at US Bank to visit with the children.