Santa and Mrs. Claus are coming to Downtown Missoula for the 12th Annual Parade of Lights on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2014. They will arrive at 1pm and spend the day at the Florence Hotel (111 N. Higgins) taking Christmas wishes and photos with children. The afternoon will feature holiday shopping and nearly 30 family activities throughout Downtown.
Sponsored by Datsopoulos, MacDonald & Lind P.C. and Liquid Planet, the Parade of Lights will commence at 6pm at 4th & Higgins and travel north to the Crossings Public Art Piece (Red XXXXs) for the bonfire and the Annual Lighting of Missoula’s Downtown Christmas Tree at 6:30pm. Free coffee, cocoa and cookies will be available for everyone, and there will be special performances from a few community members.
“The Parade of Lights is an exceptional family event that is free for everyone. It’s a great way to enjoy the holidays while doing a little Christmas shopping,” said Linda McCarthy, Executive Director of the MDA. “We are excited to host the post-game party following the NCAA football championship playoff game.”
Parade of Lights Film Squad Camp:
Register now for the Parade of Lights Film Squad Camp
Day 1: Friday 12/5 – 4-6 pm: Pre-production team and story development.
Day 2: Saturday 12/6 – 4-8 pm: Out shooting in the community!
Day 3: Sunday 12/7 1-4 pm: Post-Production
Course registration is $50.00
Ages 9-14 recommended.
The staging for parade floats and other entries will begin at 5:00 pm on South 4th Street East. Plaques will be awarded to the best floats/entries in these categories: Best Commercial Entry, Best K-8 Entry, Best Religious Entry and Best Civic/Non Profit Entry. There are over 20 float entries this year.
After the Lighting of the Tree at 6:30, the MDA invites the crowd to stick around for a special performance by MCT’s The Winter Wonderettes and a visit from Susie Who from WhoVille and The Grinch. This portion of the event will feature holiday-themed live music and entertainment. Visit missouladowntown.com for the full slate of events.
Santa’s Arrival and the Parade of Lights is sponsored by 30 Missoula businesses and individuals. Datsopoulos, MacDonald & Lind P.C. and Liquid Planet are this year’s title sponsors. Gold sponsors are Advanced Litho Printing, Guild Mortgage, Montana Public Radio, Sustainable Business Council and the University of Montana. Parade of Lights Silver sponsors are 5 on Black, A&E Architects, ABC FOX Montana, Axis Physical Therapy , The Badlander, Blackfoot Telecommunications Group, Boom Swagger Salon, Hide and Sole, Holiday Inn Missoula Downtown, La Stella Blu and One Eleven. Bronze Sponsors are Betty’s Divine, Chris & Vickie Honzel, Cloth and Crown, Estep & Weber Capital Management, Hot House Yoga, KornUtopia, Missoula Copy Center, MissoulaEvents.net, Penny Nord of Choices Counseling, Plonk, Scotty’s Table, and Weyaka. Thank you to the sponsors for making Parade of Lights possible for the Missoula Community!