It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at Mile Branch Settlement as plans come together for this year’s Mile Branch Pioneer Christmas celebration.

The two-day event kicks off with the Mile Branch Christmas Parade on Saturday at 10 a.m. All horse-drawn wagons, buggies and horseback riders are welcome to participate, and all riders are required to dress in pioneer period clothing.

Decked out in the spirit of the holidays, the Mile Branch cabins will all be open for tours, and visitors will find themselves transported back to a simpler time. Many items will be available for purchase, including jambalaya, hoop cheese and crackers, jellies, sassafras tea, Mile Branch corn meal, hot apple cider and hot roasted peanuts.

Also available for Christmas purchasing will be arts and crafts and antiques. Santa will make an appearance as well, and he will be more than happy to pose for pictures.

The entertainment lineup, including holiday singers, church choirs, a Civil War reenactment and period historical demonstrations, promises fun for the entire family.

The Second Annual Mile Branch Pioneer Christmas Cook-Off will take place at the Bateman cabin on Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m.

The chicken and dumplings cook-off will be on Saturday and the cornbread cook-off will be Sunday. A note to contestants: Entries for the cornbread cook-off must be made with cornmeal from Mile Branch Settlement.

All entries must be checked in by 1 p.m. each day of the competition as judging will commence immediately after final check-in. First, second and third place will be awarded for each competition. Samples of all entries will be served after winners are announced.

The one-act play, “All I Want For Christmas,” will be performed on the King Cabin porch at 1 pm on Saturday.

Don’t miss out on the fun at Mile Branch Pioneer Christmas, which is held in conjunction with the Varnado Store Museum’s Festival of Trees and the Antique Car Show sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce.

For more information about Pioneer Christmas, visit www.freefair. com.