Despite rainy weather on Friday, Santa Claus is still set to come to town on Saturday to make an appearance in the City of Meridian’s annual Christmas parade.

Community Development Director Craig Hitt announced Friday morning that the city’s highly anticipated Candy Cane-themed holiday parade will take place as scheduled at 5 p.m. Saturday in downtown Meridian.

“The lineup for floats and other parade participants is 3 o’clock Saturday afternoon,” he said in a city of Meridian press release.

On Thursday, city officials announced that inclement weather forecast for Saturday could postpone the parade. But, Public Safety Director Doug Stephens spoke with officials at the National Weather Service Friday morning about anticipated weather conditions for around the scheduled parade time.

“Our public safety director was informed that any rain that occurred around that time would be very light and would not affect the parade,” Hitt said in the release.

According to the National Weather Service’s Jackson office, showers and possibly a thunderstorm are forecast for Meridian before noon on Saturday, then scattered showers and thunderstorms after noon. Highs in the afternoon will be in the uppers 60s and low 70s. The forecast calls for scattered showers before 9 p.m. but any rainfall is expected to be light precipitation.

This year’s parade, called the Candy Cane Christmas Parade, will include more than 100 entries from businesses, nonprofit and social organizations, churches, school bands and youth groups, decorated in a candy cane theme. Lockheed Martin will serve as grand marshal of the parade with Santa Clause, as usual, being the grand finale.