Augusta, GA

Christmas parades and other revelry planned across CSRA this weekend

Published

1 year ago

December 7, 2024

Press Room

Christmas parades and other revelry planned across CSRA this weekend

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – If you like Christmas events, you’ll have a lot of choices this weekend in the CSRA.

Here’s a look at what’s going on:

Saturday

The Jackson Santa breakfast will be Saturday at 9 a.m. at the Jackson Community Center, 104 Main St. Breakfast is $5 and all proceeds from the breakfast benefit Jackson Youth Sports. Santa will arrive on the firetruck and will remain at the breakfast for photo ops.

The 54th annual Christmas craft show in Aiken will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. at the H. Odell Weeks Activities Center. The juried show attracts artisans and shoppers from across the Southeast and is a wonderful opportunity for crafters to sell handmade treasures to thousands of potential customers.

Eudora Wildlife Safari Park, 219 Salem Lane in Salley, will open Santa’s Village, a festive holiday destination offering free admission and activities for the entire family, at 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Visitors will enjoy an array of holiday experiences, including cookie decorating, ornament crafting, face painting and more. There will be special appearances by Santa, Mrs. Claus and the Grinch.

The city of Grovetown’s Christmas parade and festival are both planned Saturday. The parade will begin at 10 a.m., starting at Augusta Tech and ending at Grovetown Middle School. The festival will be from 5-9 p.m. at Liberty Park, with food and craft vendors onsite, along with games, music and other fun.

Waynesboro’s Christmas parade will start at 1 p.m. Saturday. The theme will be “Christmas Around the Globe.”

Augusta’s Christmas parade will take place downtown starting at 2 p.m. Saturday. The parade will start on 12th Street, then the Light Up Spectacular festivities will begin at 4 p.m. at the Augusta Common. There will be a kids’ Christmas village, train rides, photos with Santa, the mayor’s Christmas card contest, a kids’ zone with crafts and games, and live performances by Richmond County students. The tree lighting and fireworks show will start at 6.

A self-guided candlelight open-house style tour is planned Saturday from 5-7 p.m. at the Boyhood Home of President Woodrow Wilson. Volunteers will be on hand.

Santa will be riding through North Augusta neighborhoods in a fire engine starting at 6 p.m. Saturday. Santa’s location can be tracked on the North Augusta Department of Public Safety Facebook page at the beginning of the night, along with a map of the planned route. On Saturday, Santa will visit Riverside Village, Hammonds Ferry, East and West Buena Vista Avenue and The Rapids.

There will be a Christmas parade of lights starting at 6 p.m. Saturday in downtown Washington. The annual event is hosted by Wilkes County GA Emergency Services.

Meadow Garden, the historic home of Geroge Walton, signer of the Declaration of Independence, will welcome guests for a candlelight tour from 6-8: Saturday. It’s at 1320 Independence Drive.

Sharon Baptist Church will be holding a free gathering from 7-9 p.m. at the Columbia County Fairgrounds, 5462 Columbia Road in Grovetown. There will be hot cocoa, live music and a kids’ corner.

Sunday

Aiken’s Christmas parade will start at 2 p.m. Sunday. Presented by the Aiken Downtown Development Association, the parade in downtown Aiken will be themed “Holidays Around the World.” The parade will begin at the Aiken Visitors Center and Train Museum, travel southwest down Park Avenue, turn right onto Laurens Street, and continue to travel northwest to Barnwell Avenue. Patrons are allowed to set up on the sidewalks along the parade route. The outside parking spaces along Laurens Street northbound will be cleared of vehicles for patrons to set up chairs before the event.

The Jackson Christmas parade begins at 2 p.m. Sunday. The parade route is down Atomic Road, beginning at Jackson Middle School. This year’s parade lineup is strong, according to organizers.

The Columbia County Christmas parade will begin at 3 p.m. Sunday in the area surrounding Evans Towne Center Park. Here’s the route:

Cedar Creek Church, 3001 Banks Mill Road in Aiken, will host Jingle Jam – a free family-friendly, community event – on Sunday at 4 p.m. It will include music, creative storytelling, a Nativity-themed petting zoo, hayrides, hot dogs, carnival games, balloon artists, cookie decorating, airbrush tattoos, and more.

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Augusta, GA

Ga. gubernatorial candidate Geoff Duncan visits Augusta

Published

8 hours ago

December 19, 2025

Press Room

Ga. gubernatorial candidate Geoff Duncan visits Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan hosted a community conversation in Augusta on Friday.

The event at the HUB for Community Innovation was the final stop of a statewide tour highlighting his fight to bring down housing costs.

Duncan heard from local experts in the housing space and discussed how he says he can expand these efforts and lower costs for families as governor.

Duncan is running as a Democrat, but was a Republican when he served as lieutenant governor.

The former professional baseball player is a fierce opponent of Republican President Donald Trump.

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Augusta, GA

Richmond County school board recommendations spark community reaction

Published

20 hours ago

December 19, 2025

Press Room

Richmond County school board recommendations spark community reaction

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Richmond County School Board’s recommendation to close three schools and build a new college and career academy has drawn reaction from across the community.

The board announced its recommendation on Tuesday to close Jenkins White Elementary and transition the T.W. Josey High and Murphy Middle school site into a college and career academy.

Board member Monique Braswell, speaking as an individual and not on behalf of the board, said she opposes the plan despite acknowledging that that schools need to close due to low attendance.

“I will go on to see glory and I will still never accept it. I will never accept the fact that we are displacing children. I will never accept the fact that if T.W. Josey goes away,” Braswell said. “I will take that to the grave with me.”

Braswell said the district needs to examine underlying causes before making changes.

“We need to figure out why the kids are not going to here, there, and there,” she said. “And we need to take the communities and all the alumni along with us on this ride.”

Sheffie Robinson, president of the T.W. Josey High School Alumni Association, said the proposed changes would disrupt an already affected community. According to the presentation, students would be redistributed to Butler, Laney and Richmond Academy.

“So it’s like you disrupt a community that was built around this that has already had significant disruption over the last 30 years,” Robinson said.

We’re taking a bigger look at the Richmond County School System’s plan for several historic schools.

Under the recommendation, the Josey-Murphy site would close and construction of the college and career academy would start after this school year. Jenkins White Elementary School would also close.

Barton Chapel would be demolished, with a new building constructed for fall 2028.

Michael Thurman, who has three children in Richmond County Schools, questioned the district’s financial management.

“They really need to do a better job of being stewards of our money when they keep building left and right, school after school after school, and tearing down the others,” Thurman said.

Thurman said the district’s past spending raises concerns about the current plan.

“They definitely need to also take in mind that you’re just really wasting a lot of money building these buildings,” he said.

The district said alumni and community members will have opportunities to voice their opinions before the board votes. Public meetings are planned for January.

Braswell emphasized the importance of community engagement in the process.

“The public has to be more engaged. I don’t care if people push you away. You just have to stay engaged as the public,” she said.

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Augusta, GA

Another portion of Augusta Canal towpath is reopening to public

Published

1 day ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

Another portion of Augusta Canal towpath is reopening to public

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Another section of the Augusta Canal towpath is reopening after being closed since Hurricane Helene.

The storm on Sept. 27, 2024, left the path strewn with debris as broken branches hung precarously overhead.

On Friday, the path will reopen between the raw water pump station and the Interstate 20 bridge.

In preparation, crews have made safety improvements along the previously closed section of the trail.

Visitors are asked to observe all posted signs and stay behind safety barriers.

Embankment repairs have been delayed, but will take place in the future.

Once repair work begins, portions of the towpath will be temporarily closed at various times. Advance notice will be shared with the public before any closures.

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