LAC LA BICHE - You can't have a parade if there aren't any floats ... that's the worry of the local volunteer group organizing the Thursday, November 24 Lac La Biche Light Up the Night and Downtown Santa Parade.
If parade entries don't roll in soon, a parade won't be part of the Light Up night.
ENTER HERE FOR PARADE REGISTRATION
The annual Light Up event features the lighting of a giant downtown Christmas tree by the newest Junior Citizen of the Year, as well as a Main Street parade, free hot chocolate and bannock, and a visit from Santa. In recent years, the downtown event has been held in conjunction with the Lac La Biche Festival of Trees event that takes over the Bold Center for the weekend. Both events are seen as economic generators for the area's business community. Many downtown businesses hold late night shopping promotions during the Light Up event to take advantage of the people watching the parade and tree lighting.
But with just two weeks to go before this year's parade, there have been almost no entries submitted.
At an event planning meeting on November 9, the organizing group reluctantly agreed that if they don't get entries within the week, the parade will have to be cut from the night's festive events.
"As of today, we only have one float registered and the big Coca-Cola truck with Santa," said Heather Stromquist, one of half a dozen local volunteers putting the event's plans together. "We've only got two weeks to go — and I know people like to be last minute — but we have to get floats registered now so we can organize it all. We can't be last-minute when we are looking at closing down roads and scheduling the lighting of the big tree so community members can enjoy it."
In recent editions of the winter event — prior to the COVID disruptions of the last two years — more than two dozen floats have rolled down the chilly main street, many with winter themes, decorative lights and bundled up helpers. In past years, crowds have lined the street to watch the procession.
"We don't want to cancel the parade. We know people really like it — we just need to get people signing up now," said municipal councillor Charlyn Moore, who is also one of the event's coordinators.
Parade Entry Form
Entry forms for the parade have been available online for the past several weeks at the Light Up The Night social media page, and through a Google Doc form. Entry form quick links can also be found in the digital version of this story at www.lakelandtoday.ca.
Event organizers urge groups, businesses and individuals to sign up now for the parade.
While Santa will still be on hand for the night and the other events would continue, the parade is a main feature of the event, say organizers.
"We'd be losing a big part of the night if we have to cancel it," said Stromquist.
Light Up organizers will meet again following the Nov. 20 entry deadline to make the official decision on the parade.