Light UP event was a bright success

Rob McKinley Nov 24, 2022 11:28 PM
The big tree was lit with the flick of a switch by Junior Citizen of the Year Samantha Onciul.▲
Night events provide an opportunity to see things in a different light.▲
Santa mingles with the crowd at the Light Up event on Thursday night.▲
The Coca-cola truck lit up the night at the Lac La Biche Light Up Santa Parade▲
Santa is silhouetted against the Coca-Cola truck in Thursday night's Lac La Biche Light Up parade ▲
"Ho Ho Ho" at the Lac La Biche Light Up parade▲
The Plamondon Co-op float was a good time of music, lights and dancing.▲
Co-op elves hand out treats.▲
Santa and Mrs. Claus catch a ride in the parade.▲
Several local businesses put floats into the night parade.▲
Santa walks along the parade route, checking in with the good boys and girls.▲
Lots of waving, lots of kids, lots of sirens and lots of lights ... all essential for a good parade. Relatively warm temperatures also helped keep this year's parade a fun one.▲
ROABA president Shawn McDonald and association helpers hand out hot chocolate and bannock during the parade.▲
The Resource One Aboriginal Business Association Office also provided some heat to parade watchers needing a little warm up. ▲

Thursday night's Light Up events helped to put the spotlight on the start of the festive season in Lac La Biche County. The Light Up parade featured a downtown procession of two-dozen floats, lights, sirens and dancing. It was so busy that it might have even looked like there were  two Santas taking part in the event.

Temperatures hovering around the freezing mark also helped keep the spirits warm, as most of the crowds filled the sidewalks between 101 and 102 Streets  in the downtown core.

Stores were open late hours to catch some of the Light Up crowds, and the Big Tree lights were switched on by this year's Junior Citizen of the Year Samantha Onciul, with the help of a community countdown.

The Light Up event this year also serves as a starter for the Lac La Biche Festival of Trees at the Bold Center. 

We'll likely have more photos from the holiday events uploaded soon. Check back for updates.

Return to LakelandToday.ca