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DOWAGIAC — Santa Claus is coming to town.

The Miss Dowagiac Scholarship Pageant executive committee announced that Saint Nick himself will return to Dowagiac from 4 to 5 p.m. Sunday for a special appearance with Miss Dowagiac Lynsie Stolpe and her court of honor. Santa will make a guest appearance on the Miss Dowagiac float, which will be escorted through the community by the Dowagiac police and fire departments.

“With this being such a difficult year for everyone, we wanted to bring Santa back to the community for one last appearance,” said Vickie Phillipson, program director for the Chamber of Commerce and DDA. Phillipson is also a member of the Miss Dowagiac Scholarship Pageant executive committee.

This will be a drive-by “parade,” which provides the public with the opportunity to wave to Santa. Families are invited to come outside to see Santa and Miss Dowagiac as they pass by, standing alongside the street or gathering — with masks on — within one of the school parking lots.

“Due to the pandemic, our Miss Dowagiac court of honor has had very few opportunities to make public appearances,” Phillipson said. “As such, the drive-by caravan, with safety vehicles escorting our Miss Dowagiac float throughout the community, was a wonderful way to give something back to the community, while also showcasing these young women.”

The caravan will leave the fire station at 4 p.m. and will travel the following route through the community:

• From the Dowagiac Fire Station to Wolf Street, Franklin Street and Solomon Street, to the Patrick Hamilton Elementary School parking lot.
• Patrick Hamilton to Main Street, Division Street and Oak Street, to Justus Gage Elementary School.
• Justus Gage to James Street, Prairie Ronde, Colby Street, Division St. and onto Riverside Drive
• Riverside to the Dowagiac Middle School parking lot.
• Back up Riverside to Hill Street, Cass Street, Jefferson Street and Pokagon Street, to Andrews Street.
• Andrews to Cora St., Thickstun Street and Pokagon Street, to the apartments within the commercial center.
• Pokagon to M-62, to Whitney Street, back behind Taco Bell and then back to the fire station.