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Uncle Jimmy Wickham to lead this year’s Mathews Christmas Parade

The Mathews County Visitor and Information Center will present the annual Mathews Christmas Parade on Saturday, Dec. 10.

This year’s theme is “Christmas Melodies.” The parade starts at 1 p.m. at Thomas Hunter Middle School and will end at the Bank of America parking lot.

Grand marshal for the musical parade will be James W. (“Uncle Jimmy Wickham”) Smith, of Virginia’s Li’l Ole Opry. Uncle Jimmy opened Donk’s Theater (formerly a movie theater) in 1975 as a country music concert hall.

The building itself met its demise in January of this year, but the business and the music are still going strong with the support of the many patrons who love it for its hometown charm and wonderful entertainment. Smith grew up in Mathews County and played music as a young man with his sisters and nieces. He was the choir director at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Gloucester for more than 30 years.

At 79, he continues to perform as much as possible with his f...

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