The annual Brookhaven Christmas Parade will roll through downtown Thursday, starting at 6:30 p.m.

Well-known television and print journalist Walt Grayson will be this year’s Grand Marshal. Crowds will enjoy band performances, lots of floats, and Christmas décor, but no doubt everyone will be awaiting the arrival of Santa Claus at the end of the parade.

Though busy with his elves preparing for all the good little boys and girls in Southwest Mississippi, the Jolly Ol’ Elf himself will take time out of his very busy schedule to spend a couple of hours in Brookhaven Thursday, so families will know he sees them (sleeping or awake), and he’s keeping up with his lists of who’s naughty or nice.

Tuesday afternoon, the weather forecasts called for just higher than a 50 percent chance of rain at parade time, but forecasts Monday and earlier had predicted more than 90 percent chance of rain. The parade is set to go ahead as planned, and whoever heard of Santa being deterred by a little wet weather?