FORT WORTH, Texas – November 25, 2008 – The line-up is set for the Chesapeake Energy Parade of Lights Friday in downtown Fort Worth, and there’s a substitution at the position of Grand Marshal.

Texas Rangers fan favorite and former third baseman Steve Buechele will now be joining six-time Golden Glove Award-winner and Texas Rangers executive Jim Sundberg as parade Grand Marshal.

Buechele and Sundberg will preside over the 26th annual parade, which starts at 6 p.m. at the corner of Belknap and Throckmorton streets and leads merrymakers to the base of Fort Worth’s 54-foot Christmas tree in Sundance Square, where Santa and his elves wait to light the tree at 7:30 p.m.

With the theme of “The Sights and Sounds of the Season,” the parade is a sparkling procession of illuminated floats, marching bands and marching groups that offer something for everyone, including vintage car enthusiasts, sports fans, animal lovers and all who need a little Christmas cheer.

Title sponsor Chesapeake Energy’s ingenious entry will feature a fixture of natural gas drilling dressed in a manner befitting its nickname.

Visit any natural gas well site, and you’ll see a wellhead--a stanchion of silver pipes known as a “Christmas tree” in gas industry lingo. An oversized recreation of this new Fort Worth icon will be crowned with a gold star and decked with holiday ornaments and green lights on the Chesapeake Energy float.

“This silver column of valves and bolts has never looked better – especially with presents tucked at its base and Chesapeake elves wishing parade goers a festive holiday,” James Geiser, Director of Marketing Communications for Chesapeake Energy, said.

Look forward to these entries as well.

• Boy Scouts of America Cub Scout Pack 1170 plans a float that finds Santa warming his hands around a scout pack’s campfire. Older scouts will flank the float costumed as creatures of the forest.
• Carter BloodCare’s 2008 entry presents a Christmas scene—“think Tiny Tim and Dickens,” builders promise—that is a tribute to the blood donors whose gifts are real lifesavers.
• The entry from the Fort Worth Mid-Cities Chapter of the American Society of Training and Development (ASTD) puts Santa’s elves in training for such duties as packing Santa’s sleigh and toy making.
• The Western Outlaws 4-H Saddle Club’s mounts will come dressed as reindeer and their children as elves, all draped in red and white lights.
• All Saints Catholic School brings the carol "The Little Drummer Boy" to life with a nativity scene complete with Mary, Joseph, a drummer boy, animals, shepherds and angels.
• Vintage autos of the Fort Worth Model A Ford Club, an illuminated fire truck and the Fort Worth Unipsychos are among attractions on wheels.
• A horse-drawn Wells Fargo stage coach and equestrian groups sporting Spanish, Mexican or Peruvian costumes as well as Western attire are local favorites.
• Sports fans come for Texas Rangers and Dallas Cowboys floats, and people watchers will be on the look-out for Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief and his wife, Rosie.

To find out where your favorite is in the line-up, go to www.fortworthparadeoflights.org, and click on Participate, or visit the Gallery for a taste of the holiday cheer this local tradition brings each year.

The 26th annual parade will start at Belknap Street at Throckmorton Street. From there, it will proceed east to Commerce Street, then south on Commerce to 6th Street, west on 6th to Houston, and then north on Houston past the city’s Christmas tree and Santa’s landing pad to Weatherford Street.

Seating is available on both sides of the street along the route, providing affordable, up-close views of the entire parade. Street Seats are $10 for adults, $7 for children and seniors, and $28 for a family pack of four seats. Go to www.fortworthparadeoflights.org for purchases of up to 24 tickets. Free viewing areas remain plentiful on sidewalks just behind the seats.

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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