Petal residents won’t find a shortage of things to do over the next few months, as officials in the Friendly City have a wide variety of events prepared to entertain throughout fall and into winter.
The festivities begin with the annual City of Petal Fall Festival, which will start at 10 a.m. Oct. 27 at Hinton Park, behind Petal Civic Center on South Main Street. Attendees will find a children’s village, pony rides, a car show, arts and crafts, various food vendors and an introduction of political candidates for this year’s general election.
Opening bands Classic Vibe and Luck of the Draw will open the musical portion of the festival, followed by country music star Dylan Scott as the headliner.
“The best thing about the Petal Fall Festival is the opportunity to help build a community and foster a sense of pride in Petal,” said Valerie Wilson, executive director of the Petal Area Chamber of Commerce. “Hometown pride is a critical factor in the development of any city.
“It’s wonderful to see families and friends enjoying the food, vendors and entertainment at our great park. It’s a part of what makes Petal a great place to live and visit.”
Next up is Shop Petal First, in which business owners and managers work from Nov. 15-17 to promote Petal as a shopping destination. “Team Shop Petal First” will meet for breakfast at 8:30 a.m. Nov. 6 at Zaxby’s on the Evelyn Gandy Parkway.
The breakfast is free for members of the Petal Area Chamber of Commerce.
“It’s been a tradition now for 17 years,” Wilson said. “Our visitors and our shoppers converge on Petal because of all the great chances they have.
“Plus, they have the opportunity to win cash prizes through the grand prize giveaway. The meeting is going to be for merchants and people wanting to continue Shop Petal First year-round – we’re going to plan for at least quarterly promotions to shop among our local merchants.”
The Christmas Market on Central – which is designed to showcase gifts and arts and crafts – will begin at 10 a.m. Dec. 1 near Grand Central Outfitters.
“We plan to have a lot of food vendors out there, lots of people with their crafts and jewelry and arts and candles,” Wilson said. “It’s things that would make terrific gift ideas and stocking stuffers for Christmas.”
The 2018 Petal Christmas Parade will begin at 4 p.m., after the Christmas market. In addition to a number of floats, the parade will also feature the Petal band, cheerleaders, Grand Marshal and a visit from Santa Claus.
“I don’t know how many floats we’ll have yet … but I am going to be receiving help from the Petal Jaycees to recruit more floats and bigger floats,” Wilson said. “So I expect this parade to be bigger than usual.
“We’re trying to upgrade the parade to make it bigger and better than ever, so that more and more people will enjoy it.”
Once the parade is over, a Christmas tree lighting will be held at Hinton Park, followed by a Celebration in the Park with music, food vendors and other activities.
“It’s a whole day of Christmas in Petal,” Wilson said. “People can come down and spend a day or a half a day, come eat and then watch the parade.”
For more information on the events, visit the Petal Area Chamber of Commerce Facebook page or the City of Fall Festival Facebook Page.
