Is it too early to thank people for their work with Christmas on the River?

I went to two pageants this week (I’m writing this before Tuesday’s Young Miss pageant), and there is a lot of work that goes into putting the pageants together.

What impressed me was the judges. One pageant coordinator told me last week how difficult it was to find judges who live outside of the 50-mile radius where contestants are from.

The judges would have to drive from work to Demopolis and get here by 7:00 (6:00 for the Little Miss pageant) from at least 50 miles away, work at the pageant, then go back home more than an hour away at 9 or 10 p.m., arriving pretty late.

There is a lot more to working with Christmas on the River than we see, and this is just one example. Somehow, the pageant coordinators are able to find good judges for these pageants, and I just thought you should know what goes into that.

Now that the pageants are all but done, the Christmas on the River season has officially begun. There are a lot of ways for people to help between now and the first week of December.

Work will soon begin on the floats for the daytime children’s parade. There are several events and programs that will need a people to help. Most programs require little effort, but are a fun way to take part in Demopolis’s most famous festival.

If you would like to take part, you can contact the Demopolis Area Chamber of Commerce at 289-0270.