CHELSEA –This year’s Chelsea Christmas parade will be followed by a Jingle and Mingle with Santa event offering residents the opportunity to take photos with Mr. and Mrs. Claus and others.

Characters at the event on Dec. 15 available for photos will include those from Beauty & The Beast, Cinderella, Paw Patrol, Dora the Explorer and Spider-Man.

“We’ve got some big names coming in for that thing,” Chelsea Mayor Tony Picklesimer said during the Chelsea City Council meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 4, while reminding residents of the event.

Attendees are encouraged to bring their own cameras for the event.

Entertainment will begin at 9 a.m. on Dec. 15 at the grandstand located in the field behind the Winn-Dixie shopping center in Chelsea.

The city’s 19th annual Christmas parade will begin at 10 a.m., and Jingle and Mingle with Santa will be held from noon until 4 p.m.

Staging for the parade will be held at Chelsea Community Center and Chelsea Middle School. The parade will make its way down Shelby County 39, turn left at the intersection with Shelby County 47 and end at Winn-Dixie.

The Jingle and Mingle event will also feature a bounce house, face painting artist, balloon artist and kids crafts.

Also at the Council meeting, Fire Chief Wayne Shirley gave an update about an increase in the number of calls handled by the department.

“We’ve been busy,” Shirley said. “I think the mayor can attest from looking at our call volume. The guys are working hard.”

Shirley also said the department often hears from residents who are pleased with their service.

“I continually get dropped messages to our Facebook page about our crews and the work they do,” he said.

Picklesimer took the opportunity to remind residents whose property borders city limits that fire service is one of the advantages of being part of the city.

“We want to be sure everyone knows, if your property is contiguous with Chelsea property, you are eligible for annexation into the city of Chelsea, and fire protection is just one of the many benefits for being a part of the city of Chelsea,” Picklesimer said. “We want to see the city of Chelsea grow through annexation.”

The next City Council meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Dec. 18 at Chelsea City Hall.