FORT WORTH, Texas – November 21, 2008 – Get ready to welcome the holidays Friday, Nov. 28, when downtown streets will close to make way for the Chesapeake Energy Parade of Lights presented by CHASE and all the holiday fun surrounding it.
The 26th annual parade, themed “The Sights and Sounds of the Season,” is a sparkling procession of illuminated floats, marching bands and marching groups that will embark at 6 p.m. from Belknap Street at Throckmorton Street. From there, the parade will proceed east to Commerce Street, then south on Commerce to 6th Street, west on 6th to Houston Street, and then north on Houston past the city’s Christmas tree and Santa’s landing pad to Weatherford Street. Street closures Friday, Nov. 28 include:
· Forest Park Blvd. from 10th St. to Purcy St. will be closed beginning at 6 a.m. and will reopen at approximately 10 p.m. This is a staging area for parade floats and units.
· West 1st St. from Burnett St. to Henderson St., 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
· Burnett St. from W. 2nd St. to Weatherford St., 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
· Cherry St. from W. 1st St. to Weatherford St., 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
· Florence St. from W. 2nd St. to Weatherford St., 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Local access will be maintained for residents.
· 3rd St. from Houston St. to Commerce St., 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
· Houston St. from Weatherford St. to 6th St., 4:30 P.M. to 7:45 p.m. Cross streets (except 3rd Street and 6th Street) will remain open to traffic until 5:30 p.m.
· Commerce St. from Weatherford St. to 6th St., 4:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. Cross streets will remain open to traffic until 5:30 p.m.
· 6th St. from Commerce St. to Houston St., 4:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.
· Belknap St. from Forest Park Blvd to Commerce St., 5 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.
· Weatherford St. from Commerce St. to Forest Park Blvd., 5 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.
· Main St. from Belknap St. to 6th St. will close at 5:30 p.m.
Drivers should be prepared for traffic congestion throughout downtown beginning at 5:30 p.m. For information on traffic management, contact Lt. Paul Henderson at the Fort Worth Police Department at (817)392-4214.
Parade fans typically arrive well in advance to stake out their place along the parade route. Fun before and after gives families and couples alike good reason to come early and stay late and includes:
2 p.m. Holiday Fun Zone presented by XTO Energy opens under the Chisholm Trail mural between 3rd and 4th streets downtown. Fun includes holiday craftmaking for kids and families as well as free coffee, cocoa and treats from Starbucks Coffee, Shakolad and others.
4:30 p.m. Come early to get a great vantage point, and visit the shops of Sundance Square.
5:30 p.m. Cowboy Santas warm up the crowd as they walk the parade route collecting unwrapped toys for needy children.
6 p.m. The parade of dozens of illuminated entries begins, led by Grand Marshals Jim Sundberg and Steve Buechele of the Texas Rangers. Look for sparkling entries from the MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival, Chase Bank, Chesapeake Energy, Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers, Bell Helicopter, XTO Energy, Clear Channel Radio, Verizon Wireless, KSCS and Santa's arrival on the Downtown Fort Worth Inc. float.
7:35 p.m. Lighting of the Fort Worth “Green” Christmas Tree in Sundance Square, Main Street between 3rd and 4th Streets. Carbon offsets provided by Green Mountain Energy make this the tree totally carbon neutral. More than 4,000 lights and scenes plucked from the holiday classic “The Nutcracker” make this a picture-perfect setting.
7:45 p.m. Photos with Santa can be taken until 10 p.m., and these benefit the Sister Cities youth scholarship program.
7:45 p.m. "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas" starring Jim Carrey will be shown on a giant screen in the Chisholm Trail parking lot.
The Chesapeake Energy Parade of Lights is presented by CHASE and supported by Sundance Square, Coors Distributing Company, XTO Energy, the Star-Telegram, AmeriCredit, Courtyard by Marriott/Blackstone Hotel, KSCS 96.3, Platinum 96.7, and Clear Channel Radio stations 106.1 Kiss FM, Lone Star 92.5, 102.1 The Edge, 97.1 The Eagle, and Mix 102.9. The Fort Worth Christmas Tree is presented courtesy of Sundance Square, with carbon-neutral power provided by Green Mountain Energy.
Parade of Lights History
First staged in 1983 by Downtown Fort Worth, Inc., the Parade of Lights began as a way to brighten perceptions of the Central Business District. At that time, downtown stakeholders realized that a unifying event like the Parade of Lights would provide an opportunity for residents and visitors alike to see downtown as a place of celebration, entertainment, fun and relaxation. Now a tradition more than a quarter-century old, this family-oriented event ushers in the holiday season in Downtown, a district that is the envy of the nation and provides an environment where close to 96 percent of the available office space is occupied, where downtown living opportunities are available and affordable, and where people from throughout the Metroplex gather to have a wonderful time in the restaurants, clubs and entertainment facilities.
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