Santa Claus is coming to town, and he’s bringing quite a procession.

The city of Clinton’s annual Christmas parade is slated for this Saturday, Dec. 12, and will begin at 10 a.m. The parade route will be closed to vehicles beginning at 9 a.m., according to organizers.

Lauren Balkcum, executive director for the Clinton-Sampson Chamber of Commerce, said there are 124 entrants to this year’s parade.

“I think we’re pretty in line with what we were last year,” said Balkcum, who is new to the parade herself.

“With the economy the way it is, some people who might have made a float are driving in a car,” said Balkcum, who noted, however, that there will be plenty of the same excitement Clinton plays host to every second Saturday in December. “There will be marchers, beauty queens, homemade floats and Santa will be there.”

The City Council has already approved closing down streets along the parade route for the festivities. Line-up will begin on Warsaw Road, with entries departing from the Agri-Exposition Center toward the starting point at the Clinton City Schools Administrative Offices on College Street.

From College Street, the parade will go through downtown Clinton and around the courthouse on the Vance Street side. It will continue down Fayetteville Street, passing by Sampson Community Theatre and Graves Memorial Presbyterian Church, before turning left onto Chestnutt Street and left again onto West Main Street.

The parade will continue down Main Street, making a right onto Lisbon Street and continuing toward the ending point at the Clinton City Market. Marchers can exit at the market, while floats, vehicles and other entries will continue down Lisbon and return to the Agri-Exposition Center.

Balkcum said the parade will make Clinton the place to be this Saturday and everyone coming out for the event, be they participant or spectator, is invited to stay even after the last float has passed.

Following the parade, Santa Claus will be at his house on the downtown square, across from Sessoms Jewelry. Balkcum encouraged children and their families to visit the downtown and what it has to offer. A flier sent to parade participants invites them to “warm up with lunch and hot beverages at one of our downtown restaurants or use the afternoon to Christmas shop with any of our downtown merchants.”

The same goes for parade-goers, Balkcum said.

“They can support the downtown by shopping, dining and doing business locally,” she remarked. “It supports the local economy and keeps our money invested in the community. We’re just real excited about it and appreciate the support we’ve gotten from the community. And we just encourage people to come out and enjoy it.”

Chris Berendt can be reached at 910-592-8137, ext. 121, or by email at sicrime@myclintonnc.com.