LAC LA BICHE - Santa is arriving early this year in Lac La Biche County. The annual Light Up the Night parade and downtown celebration is returning to the community this Friday, Nov. 26, after the event was scaled back last year to a virtual celebration due to COVID. The show gets rolling at 6:30 pm.
Businesses and groups are invited to register and enter the Parade
Attendees this year can expect a Main Street parade, starting at the Lac La Biche museum in the former Jubilee Hall, with hot chocolate stations throughout the trek to the Northern Lights Public Schools office, where more than 1,600 festive lights decorated on a 40-foot tall tree will be lit by this year’s newly announced Junior Citizen of the Year.
Local merchants are also joining in the activities, with many downtown stores offering special sales and extended hours, says Dave Phillips, the Lac La Biche & District Chamber of Commerce’s president, and one of several volunteers on the Light Up the Night organizing committee.
The massive tree that highlights the event will be donated by Lavon and Lloyd Flemming this year. The tree will be delivered to its location on Sunday, November 21., with local business Tree Monkeys cutting the tree from the Fleming’s property, Lac La Biche Transport delivering the hefty load to its downtown destination and installing it into an industrial strength tree-stand, and finally, Fortis and community members dressing the tree. It’s like a family going out to find the ‘perfect tree’, bringing it home and decorating it, says Phillips… except on a much, much, larger scale … but still keeping those traditions alive using the help and support of volunteers and community members.
Measures in place
Phillips says organizers decided to start the parade at the museum rather than the original site near the Bargain Shop to encourage social distancing throughout the parade.
“There were enough people in previous years that we were pretty tight in that space around the Bargain Shop so we will move to a bigger area for the parade. We will start at the museum…then go down Main Street and conclude at the tree.”
To register a company or a group to be part of the parade, click HERE
Bringing back the lively event is a great opportunity to bring people together again — still six feet apart for COVID safety — for a Christmas-themed event, said Phillips, adding that in-person with all pandemic measures in place is better than any virtual event could be.
“Last year, our whole thing was virtual. We did it all online and it was hopelessly inadequate,” he said. “So being able to gather a little bit is going to be fantastic.”
With the parade and Light Up celebration passing its 10-year mark in the community, organizers this year feel more comfortable to possibly add more lights on the tree, said Phillips with a laugh, explaining that there were many challenges in the early years, trying to figure out how to decorate a 40 or 50 foot tree. In recent years, a plan was developed that could even lead to additional lights.
“I have developed this system that is really easy to put on and really easy to take off… and if we really wanna load it up this year, I have a third row that we can put another 800 feet of lights on the tree.”
The tree will be delivered Sunday afternoon and throughout the week it will be decorated with all the lights ready for Friday night.
For those who cannot attend the parade, shopping night and light up, Phillips says, the tree will be up until January 20 to also include those celebrating Ukrainian Orthodox Christmas and for everyday viewing.
The big tree becomes a bit of an attention-getter over the weeks it’s up, says Phillips.
“My own granddaughter, every morning when she goes to daycare she would insist on driving past the tree, and she’s not alone,” he said, adding that while the lights are what attract the attention, the community involvement is really what brightens the event. “The event itself is us getting together and doing something special for the community—it’s pretty fantastic to be able to do that.”
Organizers are hoping for a good turnout for the event, and remind attendees to dress for the weather and follow COVID-19 regulations. For motorists, traffic along the community’s Main Street, and parking on the route, will be restricted starting at around 6 p.m.
The Friday night Light Up event takes place the same weekend as the annual Festival of Trees event at the Bold Center, where dozens of decorated — regular size — trees are on display and available for raffle.
To register a company or a group to be part of the parade, click HERE
Nominate a Junior Citizen of the Year
Nominations for this year’s Junior Citizen of the Year have been available since early November and can be filled out HERE … but only until Monday, November 22 at 9 am.
* with files from Rob McKinley
