MACON, Ga. — The annual Macon Christmas Parade is right around the corner, and it's a tradition for lots of families here.
When it comes to the local businesses, this is their busiest time yet, and lots of them benefit from the community's Christmas spirit.
Cherry Street at Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd will be blocked off, welcoming thousands of visitors to walk through downtown and enjoy the sights and sounds of Macon.
Lots of businesses here are preparing for the festive foot traffic, including Mashall Talley, the general manager of Vibez Brunch Bar and Grill on Cherry Street.
"It's a good time for the community to come together and celebrate," Talley said. "It's a good time to see the kids, marching in the band, the distinguished people in the community on the floats."
Talley also talked about what he does to spread the Christmas cheer to his community.
"We had to adjust a little bit to be able to cater to the community that comes down," Talley said. "With the parade being very family-friendly, we decided to transpose our patio to such to be able to offer offerings such as hot dogs and hamburgers and hot cocoa during the Christmas concert to the families that walk by. As a business owner, it's important to be able to serve and serve correctly so making adjustments, being able to offer the community things that they need is very important and it's very satisfying."
Over at Cashman's Pub on Cherry Street, Shanara Willis is the kitchen manager and says they get popular after the parade.
"We have the lights going on downtown and there's other restaurants doing other little things for the kids too so it's just like they're trying to bring everyone together — like a family like a big family," Willis said.
Although parking is limited, Willis says people enjoy walking through downtown Macon and supporting their local businesses.
"When you see everyone come down to Macon, you're going to say 'wow' because it's so packed," Willis said, "They're coming rain or shine and it really brings everybody together and to just have fun and enjoy everything."
Even though it can be stressful for businesses, in the end, they say it's worth it and it gets them ready to celebrate Christmas with their community.
The Macon Christmas parade is on Sunday, Dec. 17 at 4 p.m. and starts on Cherry Street at Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. downtown.