By WILL BRUMLEVE
[email protected]
GIBSON CITY — Gibson City’s annual Lighted Christmas Parade is back to its traditional format — as a moving parade rather than a static display — and back to its traditional date and location — downtown in November instead of at the North Park in December — for the first time since 2019.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the parade was replaced in 2020 and 2021 by a “drive-through” version at the North Park. Last year, with COVID-19 restrictions eased and with an eye on bringing more activity to the downtown business district, the static light display at the park was complemented by a Christmas celebration downtown, including an ice-skating rink, a parade honoring local emergency personnel, horse-drawn carriage rides and, of course, Santa Claus.
While last year’s event, in particular, was considered a huge success, organizers kept hearing one suggestion from the community: Please bring back the traditional parade. The Harvest Fest Committee, which replaced the Gibson Area Chamber of Commerce as the lead organizer of the parade this year, took the feedback to heart.
“When we were approached about possibly planning it and taking over the planning of it, everybody was like, ‘Oh, are you guys going to go back to a parade? Are you guys going to go back to a parade? Because, man, that was fun,’” said Justin Carpenter, president of the Harvest Fest Committee. “From the feedback we were getting from local businesses and from our community, that’s what they wanted. So we’re just trying to give everybody a little bit of what they liked from past events.”
The Lighted Christmas Parade begins at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, moving from County Market on East First Street to Sangamon Avenue and through downtown Gibson City. Following the parade, Santa will greet kids in the entryway at Hood’s Ace Hardware downtown. Prior to the parade, there will be a tree-lighting ceremony at 5:30 p.m. and food vendors starting at 5 p.m. Also Saturday will be a downtown business open house starting at 9 a.m. and the Sleigh the Santa 5K race at 1 p.m. at Railside Golf Course.
The parade will feature both “pre-lit” floats that businesses, organizations or families can rent for a fee as well as “custom” floats that they can make themselves and enter at no charge, Carpenter said. Float entries — which should be lighted — are accepted through parade lineup, which begins around 5 p.m. at County Market.
“The more lights, the better, as far as I’m concerned,” Carpenter said. “We want as many (floats) as we can get to just try to put on a show for the community and whoever else wants to come.”
Carpenter said there may still be a few “pre-lit” floats available to rent. Some 20 “pre-lit” floats are already reserved, Carpenter estimated, with at least 10 custom float entries so far.
Carpenter said businesses, organizations or families interested in renting one of the remaining “pre-lit” floats should contact him at 217-369-5978 or Brandon Zumwalt, the Harvest Fest Committee’s vice president, at 217-379-1546.
“We have a handful of them left,” Carpenter said. “There’s a company we rent them from. They always have the neatest ones. (The rental) comes with the trucks and the drivers (to tow the floats) and everything. All we do is put the company’s logo on the banner (on the float) and they’re good to go.”
Some of the same food vendors that took part in September’s annual Harvest Fest will return to downtown Saturday, including Pioletti’s Tasting Room & Catering and Monster Grilled Cheese. The Gibson City Restoration Association will also have a food stand, while the Gibson City Pentecostal Church will have hot chocolate and cookies.
“We might try to pick up another (food vendor),” Carpenter said, “but, right now, I’m going to tell these vendors that we’ve got: ‘Hey, it’s yours. Cook as much as you can.’”
In the event the Lighted Christmas Parade is postponed due to inclement weather, updates will be provided at www.gclightedchristmasparade.com, the Gibson City Lighted Parade Facebook page and WGCY-Radio.
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November 15, 2022 at 10:55PM
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Gibson City’s Lighted Christmas Parade returns to its traditional format - Ford County Chronicle
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