Light Up the Holidays festival, parade kicks off the holiday season
One of Joliet’s favorite holiday traditions, the Light Up the Holidays Festival and Parade is filled with family fun. Light Up the Holidays Festival and Parade is the day after Thanksgiving, on Friday, Nov. 25 in downtown Joliet.
More than 25,000 people lined the streets of downtown Joliet last year to participate in the holiday festivities, which focus on free and low-cost family fun. Traditional highlights are the Tree Lighting Ceremony at 5:15 p.m. at Van Buren Plaza, when Joliet Mayor Art Schultz turns on the Christmas tree and sparkling lights lining the streets.
The eighth annual Light Up The Holidays Parade is presented by the University of St. Francis and begins at 5:30 p.m. The parade features the American Legion Band, Joliet Central High School Band, Joliet Grade School Band, Joliet West High School Band, Laraway Lancer Band, Lockport Township High School Band, Plainfield South High School Band, Rockdale Grade school band, Wilmington High School band. The Joliet Central Choirs will also perform at the parade.
Parade goers can help ring in the holidays by purchasing jingle bells from the Joliet Exchange Club. The bells will be available for $1 each before the parade. They are also available at the Joliet Park District, Westfield Mall and several of the downtown Joliet business establishments. Tie them to shoelaces for the "Jingle Bell Stomp." All profits from the Light Up The Holidays Parade go to the Joliet Exchange Club to help abused women and children.
Fireworks can be seen during and after the parade and several City Center restaurants will offer their specialties. Parade grand marshal will be Jammer, mascot to the Joliet JackHammers baseball team. The University of St. Francis mascot, Bernie, the St. Bernard, will also be on hand at the Light Up the Holidays Parade.
The parade begins at the Will County Building at Jackson and Chicago streets, runs south on Chicago Street to Jefferson Street, then east to Scott Street and proceeds north to return to the Will County Building.
Catch the "Spirit of Christmas" with WCSF 88.7 FM, the University of St. Francis’ student-run radio station, which offers 24-hour-a-day special programming of holiday and Christmas music from Nov. 24 through Jan. 2. Look for Spirit of Christmas/WCSF booth at the Light Up the Holidays Festival and Parade. In its 13th year, the Spirit of Christmas has become a holiday tradition, reaching more than 200,000 greater Will County listeners.
Throughout the holiday season, look for University of St. Francis Visual Arts Department student designs on downtown street decorations and windows. A crew from Exploring Joliet, a cable television show created and produced by USF students, will also cover the parade.
The day’s festivities begin, however, with lunch with Santa at the Louis Joliet Renaissance Center from noon to 4 p.m. Children may have their pictures taken with Santa Claus and tons of games are planned. Look for the beautiful and intricate ice sculptures created by the Joliet Junior College Culinary Arts Department students. The Renaissance Center is at 214 N. Ottawa St. in downtown Joliet. For information or reservations for the breakfast, call (815) 280-1404
Free admission to the Joliet Area Historical Museum is sponsored by Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center. Explore a winter wonderland and enjoy a day of hands-on fun including making gift cards, coloring pages or a free craft project for children. Ice sculpture carving can also be seen. The museum at 204 N. Ottawa St. will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For information, call (815) 723-5201.
Two free holiday family movies, sponsored by First Midwest Bank, will be shown at the Rialto Square Theatre, 102 N. Chicago St.
Prancer, rated G, will be shown at 3 p.m. A wounded reindeer and an 8-yer old girl form an everlasting bond in this holiday drama. Convinced an injured reindeer is Santa’s very own Prancer, an 8-year-old girl vows to help her antlered friend find his way back to Santa in time to make the Christmas Eve delivery.
Christmas with the Cranks will be shown at 7 p.m. The comedy, rated PG, follows empty-nester parents as they abandon the family’s picture-perfect Christmas tradition in favor of a Caribbean cruise.
The Joliet Park District will host The Santa Express from noon to 3 p.m. inside the Rialto Square Theatre rotunda. Festive games, creative art, and holiday songs will be just a few of the activities provided for your entertainment.
Santa will recount his annual Christmas eve trek by reading Clement C. Moore’s classic Twas The Night Before Christmas at the Joliet Public Library, 150 N. Ottawa. The readings will be at 10:30 am, 1:30 pm and 3:30 pm. The library will be open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Children can also do "make one-take one" crafts at the library. Look for Christmas caroling on the steps of the library between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Throughout the day, a variety of downtown eateries will be open.
The Light Up the Holidays Festival and Parade is sponsored by University of
St. Francis, the City of Joliet, the Joliet City Center Partnership, First Midwest Bank and Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center. Organizers include the City of Joliet, the Joliet Exchange Club, Joliet Visitors Bureau, Joliet Police Department, Joliet Park District, Joliet Department of Public Works and the Joliet City Center Partnership.
For more information about the Light Up the Holidays Festival and Parade, call (815) 774-6066 or visit www.jolietdowntown.com.