Kick off the holiday season downtown during the Downtown Statesboro Development Authority’s annual Holiday Celebration, to be held Friday from 5:30 to 8 p.m. 

The event will  feature the Christmas parade on East Main, Chili Town, holiday shopping, the Mockingbird’s Turf  hayride in the Synovus Bank parking lot, the Santa photo booth and community stage performers. 

The courthouse will host a full schedule of live performances from the local community beginning at 5:30. 

These include Cotton Rose School of Dance, Statesboro High School Drama Troupe, Bulloch County Elementary Schools Combined Chorus, Victorian Christmas Carolers, Southern Soarettes and Georgia Southern's Phi Mu Alpha fraternity.

The Christmas parade will begin at 5:30 p.m. A variety of decorative golf carts, tractors and classic cars will usher in Santa Claus from the courthouse to City Hall. 

The highly anticipated chili cook-off in Statesboro Natural Gas’ Chili Town will include four categories that participants can compete in, including Overall Best Chili, Best Restaurant Chili, People’s Choice and Best Decorated Booth.