J
ARRETT GOODMAN
Staff Write
During Jasper’s January city meeting, Park Director Justin Baker announced the dates for the community’s most well-known and major annual events.
Baker made public the official dates for the town’s Easter Egg Extravaganza, Big Boom, Jack-O-Lantern Jamboree, and the community’s annual Christmas Parade during the meeting, first announcing the Easter Egg Extravaganza being set for Good Friday on April 3. As for the annual Big Boom, Baker noted for the nation’s 250th birthday, the event will take place on the Fourth of July rather than the day after, in which the event is traditionally held.
“We’ve already been working on that,” said Baker. “We’ve got some things not ready to announce right now, but it’s going to be a big day.”
Baker noted this year’s Jack-O-Lantern Jamboree will take place on Halloween this year, marking two major events landing on the associated holidays for this year. As for the community’s annual Christmas Parade, it will take place on Saturday, Dec. 12, once again as part of the community’s new Christmas in a Small Town event set for the same day.
Vicki Messer, secretary for the Marion County Chamber of Commerce, explained seven vendors are already on board with participating in this year’s Christmas in a Small Town, including one from as far south as Florida willing to participate in the annual event once more.
“The thing they did ask was as soon as the town comes up with an idea for a theme, they would like to know,” said Messer. “They’d really like to know that because they would like to participate theme-wise as well.”
Baker concluded the discussion with the mention of the community’s now named Polar Paradise ice skating rink also set to reopen during this year’s holiday season, cementing additional anticipation for a festive new year in Jasper.