Parade of Lights to set things bright

Join the Malta Merchants and Chamber to kick off the holiday season in pure Phillips County-style at the Annual Parade of Lights on October 26, at 6pm.

All of you favorite shops and businesses will be open late with sales and specials. For you early birds, you can get a start on that holiday shopping, with plenty of time left to grab those Halloween and fall items. Check out local media to see what each business will be highlighting.

Bring your whole family out to enjoy the parade. Better yet, get a few friends or group together and enter a float. It's free to enter, just line up at the hospital parking lot by 6 p.m. Prizes awarded for the top floats! If you've been to the Parade of Lights before, you know that anything goes for float décor. We've had fishing boats, Minions, popcorn stands, giant pumpkins, Christmas and palm trees and Thanksgiving turkeys, to name a few. We can't wait to see what you all come up with!

October 26 is also the kickoff for the Christmas Scrip program, where residents can apply for up to a $1,000 loan from any local bank. Those dollars are provided to you at no interest and paid back in 10 monthly installments.

The benefits of using Scrip are twofold. First, the dollars can only be spent locally. Secondly, it gives you some flexibility of how to spread out the cost impact of those holiday purchases, expenses or big projects, with no interest accruing. You can use Scrip to buy those holiday gifts, from tools to books and everything in between. Have you been looking for new furniture, or a home improvement project? You can use Scrip for that too!

Scrip loan applications are available at all three local banks. If approved, they will provide you either with a certificate, if you are looking to make one big purchase and know the amount, or a set of Scrip dollars. You must make your Scrip purchases by December 24. All certificates and dollars are void after December 24, 2017. Unused certificates and Scrip dollars can be returned to the bank and credited to the loan amount. Scrip is not redeemable for cash, and no cash refunds. Give any of our local banks a call if you have additional questions.