Parade, tree lighting among the events that celebrate the season
By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
Santa Claus is coming to town – or in this case, the City of Burlington.
The holiday season kicks off Friday with the city’s annual Christmas parade, which runs through downtown Burlington – through The Loop and south on Pine Street – to Richter’s Marketplace.
The parade will step off at 6:30 p.m.
“I’m excited, very excited,” Mayor Jeannie Hefty said. “It’s going to be a fun parade.”
The theme this year is “Christmas Vacation,” with parade entries making reference to the famous Chevy Chase film. City staff and City Council members will be at least one entry with an RV, and will be pulling a haywagon.
“The RV will also be decorated with the theme,” Hefty said. Burlington RV is donating and decorating the RV.
“They keep watching the movie, and they keep putting decorations on,” Hefty explained.
The weather for the parade looks to be milder than in recent years, with a high of 38 degrees forecast and little to no chance of precipitation.
“There’s going to be a lot of fun connected with it,” Hefty said.
Discover Wisconsin will be filming the parade, and the tree lighting that will take place Friday night after the parade.
Following the parade Friday night at the Plaza Theater is a performance by the Burlington High School A Capella Choir and a free showing of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” The show will begin at 8 p.m. or whenever the parade ends.
The following weekend will be Burlington’s first-ever ice sculpting competition, which has exceeded all of Hefty’s expectations.
So far, there are 18 professional sculptors and 39 sponsors.
Other events this weekend are:
Tea party
“Frozen” Tea Party at CATHE Center and Youth Theater, 125 E. State St. Elsa, who made a visit to the area on Light Up the Night Nov. 18, will be at the CATHE Center for a tea party Saturday at 1 p.m.
Tickets are $10, and include mini-makeovers, food, raffles and photos. There is a maximum of 150 seats, and tickets are on sale at brownpapertickets.com, Burlington Health Foods and The Coffee House at Chestnut and Pine.
Santa’s Chalet
Children and their parents can deliver their own gift wishes to Santa and Mrs. Claus starting Friday after the parade at about 7:30 p.m.
Hours for December are 6 to 8 p.m. on Fridays and 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
Santa’s Chalet is located in Wehmhoff Square Park, 166 E. Jefferson St.
The Edmund Fitzgerald
Popular author and speaker Rochelle Pennington will present her program, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at Veterans Terrace. Doors open at 1 p.m. and there is no charge. Light refreshments will be served, as Pennington will talk about the history and mystery of the vessel, as well as what led to the demise of the 29-man crew.
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