Multiple festive events Saturday bring holiday cheer to Mid-Missouri

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

From Moberly to Jefferson City, Saturday's holiday itinerary is packed with shopping, festivals and even some charity opportunities.

In Columbia, the city's Department of Parks and Recreation is hosting it's annual Kwanzaa celebration at the Armory Sports Center from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. The event will have a black-owned business expo along with live entertainment and refreshments.

For more shopping and live entertainment, the second annual City of Refuge Holiday Market will take place at 10 N. Garth Ave. from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event features over 55 refugee and local artisans selling handcrafted goods like jewelry, home decor, and clothing. Attendees are also invited to donate to CoMoGives which will use the funds to provide job training for refugee women.

Cyclists are invited to join Cranktivus, a food drive event where participants receive a grocery list to purchase to create a holiday meal to donate to the food bank. The event started in 2014 with 15 cyclists and has grown to 200 participants last year. No pre-registration is necessary. The event will run from Noon to 4 p.m. Participants are asked to meet at Walt's Bike Shop early to get signed in.

Moberly's annual Christmas Festival goes all day from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The event will have live reindeer, a parade, shopping, and a Christmas tree lighting. There will also be a synthetic ice skating rink and horse-drawn carriage rides.

The parade's theme is snowglobe Christmas will start on Reed Street at 3 p.m.

The 96th annual Fulton Christmas parade begins at 1 p.m. The parade will start at the Rec Plex and end at Memorial Park. Jefferson Street will remain closed.

Jefferson City is also hosting its annual Jaycees Christmas Parade. The parade will feature bands, superheroes and Santa. It will start on West High Street at 4:30 p.m., head through downtown Jefferson City on W high Street, up Lafayette St., and head back on W Capitol Ave. to end at the Truman Building parking lots. For a smooth parade, all cars on High Street from Broadway Street to Adams Street must be removed by 3 p.m.

With all these events, traffic impacts are expected. Drivers are going to want to keep an eye out for road closures and pedestrians walking around in the event areas.

All of the events are free to the public.