Christmas Parade marches back to town

The annual Lighted Christmas Parade will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5. The parade begins at Bridge Ave. and River St. and goes through historic downtown Saratoga. Attendees may take advantage of local shops to buy gifts while they wait for the parade to begin. The parade ends at the Platte Valley Community Center (PVCC) just in time to welcome Santa.

"It's small, but it's festive," Crimmins said. The parade will have around 10 floats, and Crimmins added that though the parade is short, the festive themes add a lot. "Depending on the weather, it can be just gorgeous."

The Christmas Parade serves as a community service project for the American Legion, and they will serve as the color guard.

The parade goes through historic downtown, and Crimmins said that businesses have traditionally held holiday open houses in conjunction with it because activity and walk-in traffic is high.

The parade announcer and entertainer each year is Teense Willford. Teense created this event while he served as the executive director of the Chamber. "Teense has generously donated his time and equipment for the parade and he is emblematic of the true spirit of Christmas. He makes it magical," says Crimmins.

Businesses, organizations and individuals are asked to call the chamber at 326-8855 by Dec. 4 if they would like to enter in the parade. Line-up will begin at 5 p.m.