" These 4 Words bring the acronym GIFT to light: Gratitude, Inspiration, Friends and family, and Traditions."
Red Bank, welcome to December! This is the time of year when all of us experience blessed activities: Christmas gatherings and shopping; however, we must take time to honor what is meaningful to us. One of those celebrations includes our Red Bank festival at the park & the parade marching down Dayton Boulevard.
Saturday, December 13th is the Red Bank Festival and Parade. Festivities begin at 3:00 with vendors, food trucks and children's activities. Beginning at 6:00 PM is the Parade celebrating businesses, organizations and our high school band. The final parade entry will be Santa Claus!!
The festival committee is excited to present this year’s food truck selection:
Food trucks are Desserts on a Roll, Smash Boyz, Chubby Vegan, America Runs on Pizza, Clever Alehouse, Taqueria Rayo, Freddie Hanner, Culture-Licious, The Bistro, Hooked on Minis, and Spill the Beans.
Our choice of vendors include an incredible variety crochet Animals, mixed media creations, Jewelry, Food: salty and sweet snacks, Quilting and embroidery, Cotton Candy, Coffee, Balloon animals, popcorn & lemonade, 3D printed toys, fidgets, home decor and more, lotion, perfume, soap, Jewelry/ suncatchers / keychains / plant stakes / beaded hair clips, Laser cut jewelry, beaded necklaces, stickers, Woodworking, Laser Cutting, and CNC works, rosaries & prayer gifts, Bike Giveaway, Book giveaway, ornaments and other crafts, car scents. and Face painting!! There are vendors AND food trucks for Everyone!!!
Kimley-Horn will be at two events: December 6 - Traffic Garden Jamz (11 am to 6 pm) & December 13 - Christmas Parade and Festival (3 pm to 8 pm). At the Christmas Parade & Festival, they will have a booth and be giving out 500 Red Bank Christmas tote bags to the first 500 people who participate in the community engagement.
Red Bank Lions Club Annual Nut sale began in November and will be available through December 20 (or until sold-out!!) You may purchase on site at the Lions club house hours 11:00AM-5:00 PM Monday-Friday and Saturday 9:00AM-1:00 PM. Supporting this fundraiser extends into our community: Red Bank High scholarship, Lifecare of Red Bank, Food Bank, Homeless pantry, and Vision Screening program. This means gifting yourself or gifting others with any of these delicious nuts. To review the variety of products, go to shop.redbanklionsclub.org
Red Bank Lions Charity – Pecan Store – Chattanooga's Favorite Pecans! YOU can help!
Regarding shopping, it may be that you are trying to find the perfect gift for someone in your family, where you work or someone you don’t even know. Consider the opportunity for you to be the GIFT!
These 4 Words bring the acronym GIFT to light: Gratitude, Inspiration, Friends and family and Traditions.
Gratitude: Exude thanks as often as you can! We are reminded this time of year to live thankfully; however, might we live with Gratitude each day! You choose how to live this: a phone call, a handwritten note, a donation to a favorite cause to honor someone special, volunteer, or a visit to someone who needs your time. Recognize who needs you. Think about it: it takes a grateful attitude to share.
Inspiration: Many of us have lived with challenges whether health, family, self-worth, or a life-changing event that caused unforeseen adjustments. When you navigate through these circumstances, your response can be an inspiration to another person. Like Gratitude, seek Inspiration to make your relationships positive. Seek others who have similar experiences. Post on social media how You have been inspired by someone or discovered inspiration through experiences. Thank the person who has inspired you!
Family and friends: Your GIFT is to serve your family and friends. You can consider your friends as family. Live Gratitude and Inspiration within your valuable and loving relationships. My grandson gave me a bookmark that quoted: “Side by side or far apart ‘grandparents’ are always in our hearts!” You fill in the blank for who is ‘in your heart’.
Tradition: as defined is “the transmission of customs or beliefs from generation to generation, or the fact of being passed on in this way” whether a part of your Christmas season is beginning with other people or a meaningful place or day. Maybe you have more than one tradition with your family or your traditions have changed due to family changes. Starting the Christmas season at the Red Bank Christmas Festival and Parade is an example to experience Gratitude, Inspiration, Family & Friends and Tradition to celebrate!
Merry Christmas (December), Happy Kwanzaa (December), Happy Hanukkah (December 15)! -
Jamie Fairbanks-Harvey
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