• Dream Center store plans open house

The Dream Center Resale Store of Pickens, located at 529C Hampton Ave., will host a Christmas open house on Saturday, Dec. 7, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Punch and cookies will be served. A special gift section will be available for those who wish to buy new merchandise, as opposed to resale items. Toys, Clemson apparel, housewares, and bath and beauty sets will be among the new gift items for sale. The Dream Center Resale Stores in Pickens, Easley and Seneca support the work of the Dream Center, a nonprofit that educates and empowers those in need to grow toward becoming healthy and self-sufficient.

• Wreath-laying is Dec. 12 in Pickens

There are 273 known gravesites in Pickens Cemetery, including 37 confirmed veterans, most of whom are Revolutionary War veterans.

That number also includes the grave of Robert Pickens, a relative to General Andrew Pickens and captain of the South Carolina Militia.

Southern Wesleyan University acquired the cemetery and surrounding property through a generous donation by the Rev. Carl Garrison. The university is excited for the opportunities the property will provide to students as they research the rich and relatively unknown history of the Upstate of South Carolina.

Southern Wesleyan is partnering with Wreaths Across America (wreathsacrossamerica.org) to honor the service, sacrifice and commitment of the veterans interred at Pickens Cemetery.

The historic cemetery will be the site of a wreath-laying ceremony at noon Dec. 14. The public is invited to the ceremony at Pickens Cemetery, located at 900 Three and Twenty Road near Easley.

Though there is no cost to attend, wreath sponsorships are available for $15. For details, contact the SWU Advancement Office at (864) 644-5008 or advancement@swu.edu.

Wreaths Across America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded to continue and expand the annual wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery begun by Maine businessman Morrill Worcester in 1992. The organization’s mission — Remember, Honor, Teach — is carried out in part each year by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies in December at Arlington, as well as at hundreds of veterans’ cemeteries in all 50 states and beyond.

• Six Mile Christmas parade is Dec. 7

The 49th annual Six Mile Christmas parade will be held this Saturday, Dec. 7, at 10:30 a.m. There is no fee for entry, but all entries must submit an entry form. Call or visit Six Mile Town Hall to complete an entry form. All entries must have a holiday theme.

No go-carts or four-wheelers will be allowed to enter the parade. Horses will not be allowed on Main Street prior to the parade unless approved to do so. All entries have to be walking in order to hand out candy. Rain date is set for Sunday, Dec. 8. For more information, contact Kayla Holtzclaw at kayla@hwmorrislaw.com.

• CMH Auxiliary sets Festival of Wreaths

The Cannon Memorial Hospital Auxiliary is holding its 12th annual Festival of Wreaths from until Friday. Wreaths will be on display in the front lobby at AnMed Health Cannon for silent auction. Bidding will end at 1 p.m. Dec. 6, and the highest bidder will be contacted. If you or your business would like to donate a wreath to the Festival of Wreaths, contact Amanda Miller at 898-1334 or Lib Cowan at 878-9999. All proceeds from the events go to the Cannon Memorial Hospital Auxiliary.

• Pickens Christmas parade set for Dec. 13

The 2019 Pickens Christmas parade is planned for Friday, Dec. 13, at 7 p.m. Applications for entering the parade are available at cityofpickens.com, Pickens City Hall and the PRA office (during business hours). There will be fireworks and a movie after the parade.

The parade will be presented by the Azalea Festival Committee and the city of Pickens.

• Moving Forward Group to meet

The Moving Forward Group for widowed persons meets the second Tuesday of each month at Silver Bay Restaurant on U.S. Highway 123 in Easley. Held at 6 p.m., the meeting offers a night of fellowship, encouragement and making new friends. For more information, call Marian Huskins at (864) 295-1714.

• WPO offers chance at monthly fellowship

The Widowed Persons Organization (WPO) organization is not a grief therapy group, but it does provide an opportunity for widowed persons to come together, make new friends and share conversation and food while finding a new beginning in life. The group meets on the second Saturday of every month at 1 p.m. in the fellowship building of Lakeview Baptist Church on Mauldin Lake Road in Pickens. For more information, call (864) 850-1987 or (864) 878-6215.