POMEROY — Again this year a kids’ Christmas shopping tour through town, sponsored by the Pomeroy Merchants Association and Farmers Bank, will be held on Saturday.

The tour will begin at 10 a.m. with the kids to gather at the Farmers Bank Administration building at 211 West Second St. in downtown Pomeroy. Brian Howard of Farmers Bank will be leading the children from there onto Main Street where they be visiting participating businesses. Merchants will have special display tables with gift items priced $10 and under from which the kids can select just the right thing to give to that special someone they want to remember for Christmas.

Some of Santa’s helpers will be available to assist the children in making their selections and also to wrap their gifts.

Following the tour, the children will go the mini-park on Court Street where Santa will greet the children, refreshments will be served, and there will be a time of fun with of storytelling and singing.

While the children enjoy their shopping trip and the social hour with Santa, parents are encouraged to stay in town and visit local retailers.

The kids shopping tour is one of several activities being co-sponsored by the Pomeroy Merchants Association with local businesses.

Also being held on Saturday is the first of three contests, candy, cookies and creative crafts, where the first place prize is $50 and a second place prize is awarded. The candy contest will be held at Peoples Bank, the cookie contest on Dec. 8 at the Ohio Valley Bank, and the creative crafts contest at Farmers Bank on Dec. 15.

For the candy and cookie contests, five samples are to be presented on a paper plate with the name, address and telephone number of the person making the entry, on the back and taken to the bank before noon when the judging will take place. As for the creative craft contest, delivery to the bank can be anytime during the week of Dec. 10. They will be displayed in the lobby with the judging at noon on Dec. 15.