Floating holiday: Moss Point ushers the holiday season in with a festive display by land and river.

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Should Santa's sleigh ever break down in the vicinity of Moss Point, don't worry: there's a contingency plan in place. Thanks to this coastal community's Christmas by the River event, Kris Kringle has made a cameo, for the past decade, as Commodore Kringle. He glides over water, tossing goodies from a decked-out river barge.

Moss Point lies just north of Pascagoula in Jackson County. It has a population of over 17,000, and each year on December's first Saturday, a sizeable section of those residents gather to eat, drink, and make merry. They also spend the day selecting stocking stuffers, sold by local vendors under a canopied tent. This all culminates in a maritime contest and fireworks display. As evening falls, visitors unfold a multitude of lawn chairs and line the Escawtawpa River boardwalk. From there, they watch a series of party barges, yachts, and dinghies drift down the river, adorned with lights and decorations, their crews spreading Christmas cheer to everyone in attendance.

Serving as chief elf in festivity planning is Christmas by the River chairperson Bernadette Cnevas. There are advertisements and press releases to put out--not to mention overseeing boat registration, and securing fireworks and marine permits. "It gets to be overwhelming," Cnevas confided.

Once upon a time, this show was much smaller in scope. Two decades ago, there was no official "event," only a handful of neighbors who enjoyed parading decorated boats around Beardslee Lake as Christmas drew near. But by 1999, the event fanned into a free community celebration.

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A number of kid-friendly activities circulate the boardwalk. One station offers holiday storytelling. At others, kids make gingerbread men and festive frames. Children can also craft ornaments or have their faces painted. Plus, a horse and buggy carts around beaming little cherubs. The horse's owners actually retired the year before, but the attraction was so popular, Cuevas said, "They told me they'd ride for two hours as a favor."

Most children burn plenty of energy before the boat parade begins. This comes courtesy of a heap of hay lying in Moss Point's town green. Hour after hour, kids make fast friends as they sprint up the giant straw hill then race and tumble down in sheer delight. "I should just advertise the bale of hay," Cuevas said.

A good number of the thousands on-hand may be Moss Point natives, but each year, as the event grows, it draws visitors from a wider radius. Some come from northern Mississippi, or Mobile, Alabama. Visitor Peggy Martin ventured in with a friend from Atlanta. After seeing a concert for her birthday, the two headed to Moss Point to catch the festival.

An estimated seven hundred pumpkins dot the town green, too. That's right, pumpkins. No, organizers don't have their seasonal flora confused. The pumpkins make their Moss Point debut in autumn of each year, and as December draws near, volunteers paint each fruit red and white--an impressive visual display of civic recycling. Some sit alone, like peppermint drops. Others are stacked high, like candy canes or snowmen.

Food stations peddle nachos, funnel cakes, barbecue, kettle corn, and other carnival fare. Plenty of parking is available on side streets, or in lots of local businesses' parking lots. Several stores stay open late to accommodate the influx of shoppers. Meanwhile, live holiday music plays in a pavilion. Numerous acts performed at last year's festival, including a dance troupe and a high school act. The main attraction? Chicken Daddy and the Hot Wings, a local band lead by a father-daughter combo. They performed an eclectic and upbeat mix of blues, rock, and holiday tunes during a two-hour set.

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For the second consecutive year, Cuevas invited area vendors to sell arts, crafts, and boutique gifts for holiday wish lists. Many retailers sold holiday-themed items, like the Pascagoula florist who featured wreaths, poinsettias, camellias, and other seasonal decorations.

This impromptu marketplace is always a buzz by mid-afternoon. Cuevas promises, "When people know the boats are ready, they'll pack in. The entire boardwalk will be filled."

By dusk, nearly every space along the boardwalk is stacked--with individuals, couples, and families--several spectators deep. Revelers stake out spots with lawn chairs and coolers well in advance. About 50 boats register annually for the procession. They drift down the river single-file. After the parade, a stirring display of fireworks fills the night sky.

Moss Point is near Mardi Gras affairs. So it makes sense that their Christmas vessel parade smacks of Fat Tuesday. Captains and crews hurl beads, candy, and holiday toys to the eager crowd. This began in year two when passengers on one boat drifted to the boardwalk, flinging freebies. Other vessels quickly followed suit creating a bona fide Christmas by the River custom.

So are the copious decorations, and the energy that boaters expend to garnish their craft with serious Christmas spirit. Decks are adorned with glowing lights. Live spruces stand like flagpoles on hulls. Vessels sporting huge speakers play holiday tunes. One group actually rented a jazz band to perform atop their deck. As one participant summarized, "You won't believe what people will do for a silver trophy and a $100 gift certificate."

Each year Cuevas chooses a handful of contest judges. Their identities remain anonymous until the night of the parade, which they witness from a roped-off stand. They grade each ship sliding by on originality, overall decoration, and other criteria. "Since I got nominated," said Jim Brooks, one of last year's judges, "I've seen what an amazing job contestants do." Before the parade, event organizers assured Brooks the only hard-and-fast rule for entrants was to use common sense. But Brooks was skeptical. "Common sense is a relative thing," he argued. "When they have 100 gallons of gas and pyrotechnics? I'm not sure."

So as to not discourage modestly-sized boats, Cuevas recently added a "Darling Dinghy" award to honor smaller crafts. Still, she admitted she had a soft spot for showier entries. That includes the crew that purchased a snow machine for their yacht, coating the crowd with powdery flakes. That machine's debut put the "snow boat" over the top a few years back. By next December, though, the novelty wore off.

Of the many worthy ships that register each year, the loudest cheers are reserved for the last boat. Santa Claus rides the final barge. When his ship reaches the route's end, he hops off, and gives high-fives and hugs as he ambles up the boardwalk, doling out candy and laughs. He's in his outfit. He's slinging a bag of goodies, looking completely in his element. Who needs flying reindeer when you have a river to cruise?

photography by mike wann