The Heritage League of Siloam Springs' annual Christmas Parade will be held at 5 p.m. Saturday in downtown Siloam Springs.
This year's parade, called "Christmas Lights and Starry Nights," will be a traditional in-person parade again where people stand in the street as parade floats pass by, said Heritage League President-Elect Linda Gutierrez.
"We expect to see a large crowd of smiling, happy faces Saturday night," Gutierrez said.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, last year's parade was done drive-through style where floats were stationary, and people drove past the floats at John Brown University.
There will be other differences for this year's parade, Gutierrez said. First, there will be food vendors in the Hoffman Parking lot, Gutierrez said. The lineup of vendors include Beaver Tails, V&A, Tasty Treats and Carstens Concessions, Gutierrez said.
Another noticeable difference will be the absence of Bob Coleman as Santa. This year, Kevin Williams will take Coleman's place as the "big guy," Gutierrez said.
Anyone interested in having a float in the parade may visit the Heritage League's website or Facebook page to fill out the form. Registration will be held until Dec. 3, the website states.
According to the entry form, the entry fee will be $25 for a judged entry and $15 for a non-judged entry. The document states that proceeds from the entry fees will help support local programs for school scholarships, family sponsorships, and other community events and support.
Now in its 52nd year, the Heritage League's Christmas Parade has been a tradition since 1969, according to the Heritage League's website. The Heritage League would like to thank the city of Siloam Springs for helping to produce the event, the website states.