Cookies with Santa Returns to J.P. Coleman State Park Dec. 12

Cookies with Santa is coming back to J.P. Coleman State Park near Iuka for a third year. The family event is set for Saturday, Dec. 12, from 10 a.m. to noon at the park on Pickwick Lake, according to the event listing from Tishomingo County’s tourism office.

There is no separate ticket. The event is included with regular park admission, which the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks lists as $2 per person, with children 5 and under admitted free.

What to expect at Cookies with Santa

Organizers describe it as a relaxed morning for young children and their families. Activities on the schedule include:

• Cookie decorating
• Photos with Santa
• Coloring sheets
• Candy for the kids

Children will be able to visit with Santa and share their Christmas wishes. Parents are encouraged to bring their own cameras or phones for pictures.

Getting to J.P. Coleman State Park

The park is at 613 County Road 321, Iuka, MS 38852, on the Tennessee River side of Tishomingo County. The state parks agency gives these directions from Iuka:

• Take Highway 25 north to County Road 989.
• Turn right on County Road 989 and go about 7 miles.
• At the four-way stop, turn right on County Road 321 and follow it into the park.

The park is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week. Along with the visitor center, it has cabins, a motel, campgrounds, a marina, a boat launch, picnic pavilions, playgrounds, and miniature golf, so families can make a longer day of it if the weather is good.

Who to call

For questions about the event, the listing names Julie Ayers at the park as the contact. The park office number is 662-423-6515.

The event listing also carries a caution for anyone who sees it shared on social media: do not respond to Facebook users who ask about vendor spots, send friend requests, or ask for personal information in connection with the event.

More holiday events in Tishomingo County

Cookies with Santa falls one week after the county’s run of Christmas parades. Iuka’s parade is Dec. 4, Tishomingo’s is Dec. 5, Belmont’s is Dec. 6, and Burnsville’s is Dec. 7, and Burnsville is also holding its first Christmas on Ice on Dec. 5 and 6. Our Tishomingo County Christmas parades guide has the times.

Before then, the Cedar Creek Ridge Farms Christmas Bazaar is set for Nov. 28 in Tishomingo.

Event details can change, so it is worth calling the park before making the drive, especially if the weather turns bad.

Source: Explore Tishomingo County