Residents and visitors to Picayune will find some new additions to the Christmas displays set up by the city Public Works department this year.

City Manager Jim Luke said this is the city’s first year in the new City Hall and efforts have been made to decorate in ways that tie in the old City Hall with the new City Hall.

In the second floor window of the new City Hall building, residents will be able to see Santa waving at them while passing by and decorations in the style of a Macy’s store Christmas window display.

Luke said the fountain in front of the new City Hall will be lit up in green and a full size sleigh built by the public works department will be available near the fountain for people to come and take pictures.

“We invite them to come and sit by the fountain, which will also have poinsettias all around it, or sit in the sleigh for a photo op with their kids and take photos,” Luke said.

Right now, people will notice wreaths hanging in the front and on the sides of City Hall, along with lights wrapped around the old City Hall columns. Hanging from the roof of the building are icicle lights.

Both Shea Park and Jack Reed Park will be decorated for the Christmas holiday season.

“I get into Christmas. I’m a Christmas person. I don’t do much for other holidays, but when it comes to Christmas time, I get excited,” Luke said.

While decorating started Tuesday and will continue to occur over the next week, the lights on the displays won’t be switched on until Dec. 2.

Daryl Smith with the Picayune Public Works Department said planning for the Christmas decorations and displays began in September and the month of November is spent hanging decorations and testing lights and all other components of the holiday displays.

Luke said Public Works is in charge of setting up the decorations around the city and the city appreciates the help of the Picayune Fire Department and its ladder truck and personnel with hanging the lights and wreaths on City Hall.

“It will be magical around the new and old City Hall,” Luke said. “You will see the magic of Christmas come alive.”

“It’s a lot of tedious work, but then come the Christmas parade, to see the kids faces light up, that changes everything because we’re all just big kids at heart,” Smith said.