CHESTERTON | The Duneland community's official kickoff for the Christmas season -- the Hometown Christmas Celebration -- begins Nov. 28 and continues through Nov. 30.

Festivities start at 5:30 p.m. Friday with the Twilight Christmas Parade, which steps off from the Chesterton Middle School and continues through downtown from Broadway to Calumet Road, Porter Avenue and returns to the middle school parking lot.

After the parade, Santa will greet boys and girls until 8:30 p.m. Each child will receive a coloring book donated by Applebee's Restaurant along with a candy cane. Santa will be in his house every Saturday through Christmas from 10 a.m. to noon and again from 1 to 3 p.m. On Friday after Thanksgiving visitors and guests will be treated to free horse-drawn carriage rides provided by Buggies and Things and sponsored by Chesterton's European Market. The rides will last about 10 to 15 minutes and go through the downtown area.

Retail shops will be open until 8 p.m. every Thursday night until Christmas, including the chamber office which will be offering gift certificates for sale.

The sixth annual Mistletoe Market is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 6 at Bailly Elementary School. There will be 40 vendors. Live music will be offered by Cynthia Shelhart playing Christmas carols on her harp and from noon to 3 p.m.

-- For The Times