Staff Report

DEMOPOLIS – What began in 1972 as a night of fireworks and “floats that float,” according to Christmas on the River co-founder Barry Collins, has evolved into a week of concerts, parades and fun.

And it all gets started tomorrow.

The 33rd Annual Christmas on the River officially begins with the lighting of the Love Light Tree at the Bryan W. Whitfield Memorial Hospital at 5 p.m.

Monday night will begin with the crowning of St. Nicholas and the Lantern Light Parade.

Nominees for St. Nick are Dr. Wesley Hill and his wife, Barbara, Drew Johnson and his wife, Genida, Mike Black, Terry Sprinkle, Paula Parr and Mike Marshall.

One of these community leaders will be chosen to represent the “Spirit of Christmas” in the downtown public square at 5:30 p.m.

Wesley Hill is the Demopolis City School superintendent. Drew Johnson is chairman of the Citizen’s Task Force. Black is the JROTC sponsor at Demopolis High and Sprinkle is a coach and teacher at DHS. Parr is a community businesswoman and Marshall is the CEO of BWWMH.

If the night is cool, the Demopolis Singers plan to warm hearts with a performance of what Singers president Karen Davidson calls a “beautiful variety of holiday tunes and a more balanced sound under the direction of Johnny Galloway.”

The performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Demopolis High School auditorium.

Demopolis will welcome the Alabama Symphony Orchestra Tuesday night, as they perform at the First Baptist Church at 7 p.m.