Are you getting in the spirit?
The Rotary Christmas parade is going to be bigger and better than ever!
Anticipation has been building steadily as the number of pre-parade activities and offerings for kids of all ages have grown exponentially.
"We are excited to share our Christmas Spirit with you and cannot wait to see everyone there!" said organizers Sharon Dueck and Chloe Popove of the Rotary Christmas Parade sponsored by City of Chilliwack.
Start the night off right taking photos with Santa at Coffee Plus on Yale Road from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., just east of Five Corners. Bring your own camera to snap the photos and donations will be accepted on behalf of the Ann Davis Transition Society.
Ornament-making and an indoor Christmas market also get going at 4 p.m. at Chilliwack Vineyard Community Centre.
Check out pre-parade entertainment with special performances starting at 5 p.m., with the main stage at Five Corners and one in the parking lot of Decades Coffee Club, as well as food, buskers and bleachers at Yale and Fletcher, and Princess Lane.
Spiderlodge Studio singers Olivia, Sophie and Lexie will be joining the Chill Billies on the main stage at Five Corners. plus Andrew Christopher, Dylan Weightman and Capella Dance Academy will also be performing.
At 7 p.m. the long-awaited Christmas parade gets underway with a dazzling array of lights and sounds, starting from Spadina and Corbould to Wellington going east through Five Corners and east along Yale Road to Broadway.
This year, Chilliwack Bowls Of Hope will be giving away chili and buns for the hungry right off Fletcher Street, made from supplies graciously donated by PriceSmart Foods.
Some local businesses will be staying open later than usual, such as Mary's on Wellington, Lolly's and Graham's Gifts.
Those wonderful volunteers from the Chilliwack Fire Department and HUB insurance will collecting canned food so bring along few non-perishable items if possible, along with the letters to Santa.
There is even a covered seating section that will be set up at Wellington and Mill Street, for seniors and the mobility challenged, under a large tent equipped with heaters, all made possible by Hampton House.
Those adorable letters to Santa will be collected by Post Office personnel, who will also be staffing a letter-writing station to ensure the little ones get their messages safely delivered to Good ol' Saint Nick.
Volunteers with the Rotary Club of Chilliwack, Rotary Club of Chilliwack Fraser and Rotary Club of Chilliwack-Mt. Cheam all partnered with the City of Chilliwack and other sponsors to help make the resurrected Christmas parade a reality for Chilliwack.
Don't forget to dress extra warmly, and enjoy!
jfeinberg@theprogress.com
Twitter.com/chwkjourno