By Sam Parsons
One of Oskaloosa’s most beloved holiday traditions makes its return tomorrow night.
The 35th annual Lighted Christmas Parade is happening at 7pm in downtown Oskaloosa. This year’s theme is Christmas Canvas, and Oskaloosa Main Street Director Amy Brainard says that even now, in its 35th year, the parade is still growing.
“We have over 60 entries,” Brainard says. “All of our entries will be lighted, and a dozen of those are actually new. They’ve never been in the parade before. So it’s really exciting to see the parade growing.” In addition to the parade itself, Oskaloosa and surrounding communities have plenty of other festivities lined up, so Brainard says that whether you’re a newcomer to the parade or if you’ve been enjoying it for years, she recommends making an entire day out of it.
“We will have different stores that will be open,” she says. “Some will be doing specials, some will be doing treats and goodies, just different things within our local retailers. So, just lots of things for everybody to do, see, experience, and enjoy their time in downtown Oskaloosa and the communities surrounding.” She also had some advice to share with a chilly weekend ahead and streets that will be full of parade-goers.
“The biggest thing we’re saying is to bundle up. It’s going to be cold, but it’s going to be a great one. We’ve definitely had parades where it’s been colder, so we’re pretty fortunate that it’s not going to be crazy cold. But bundle up, head down to the parade route. Parking is always kind of a tricky situation, so we recommend finding a side street and just parking on that.”
The parade is scheduled for tomorrow night at 7pm in downtown Oskaloosa. The festivities tomorrow include the Holiday Tour of Homes, horse-drawn carriage rides, specials offered at local retail stores, hot cocoa, photo ops, and more. Brainard recommends parking on a side street away from the parade route, which can be found on the Mahaska Chamber website.
Our full conversation with Brainard can be listened to below.
