Parade of Lights marks 40th year with traditional downtown march

The 40th annual 9News Parade of Lights, presented by American Furniture Warehouse and AutoNation, will march through downtown Denver beginning at 8 p.m. Friday and at 6 p.m. Saturday.

To whet your appetite for all that sparkles and shines, here are a few of the highlights.

• Clocktower Float: standing tall and proud. This is the tallest of all floats, reaching 22 feet when fully raised.
• Carousel Float: one of two floats in the Parade that are illuminated entirely with energy-saving LED lights.
• Your Keys to the City Float: play your way through the holidays. This float features two pianos similar to those that are placed along the 16th Street Mall through Dec. 30 as part of Downtown Denver’s public piano program. Local artist Eric Matelski painted the pianos, which will feature two musicians playing a duet of holiday tunes as the float moves along the Parade route.
• Marching Bands: This year, more than 600 band members will march in the Parade, with 250 hailing from Colorado State University’s Marching Band, the largest marching band in the state.
• Two New Balloons: A Snow Tiger and … a surprise you will have to come to see.  The Snow Tiger is 42 feet long, 15 feet tall and requires 2,500 cubic feet of helium to fill it each night. This white tiger is the largest balloon in the Parade. And, spectators won’t want to miss the surprise beloved character who joins the Parade of Lights family this year.
• Drumming Performances: Taiko and African drummers will share their cultural traditions with the Parade audience.

“The Parade of Lights began in 1975 as a way to bring people downtown during the holiday season,” said Susan Rogers-Kark, executive vice president, Downtown Denver Partnership. “Forty years later, with nearly 500,000 people watching the Parade each year in person or through one of four telecasts, the Parade has become a cherished and highly anticipated holiday tradition.”

The Parade of Lights begins from the Denver City and County Building at 14th and Bannock streets, where spectators can view the action by purchasing grandstand VIP tickets.  Spectators can view the Parade for free along the two-mile route on Tremont between 14th and 17th streets, on 17th Street from Tremont to Arapahoe, on Arapahoe between 17th and 15th streets and on 15th Street from Arapahoe to Glenarm. Visit www.downtowndenver.com to see the entire Parade route.

Tickets for grandstand VIP seating can be purchased through Altitude Tickets or by calling 1-866-461-6556. Tickets are $19 for adults and children 13 and older. Tickets for children ages 2-11 are $16. Children under 2 years of age are free if the child sits on the lap of a ticket holder. All tickets are $20 when purchased the day of the event.

Parade viewers are encouraged to utilize public transportation. The 16th Street Mall Shuttle provides free service and passes by the California, Stout and Union Station Light Rail Stations. Mall shuttles will not operate during the one-hour parade, but will be running before and after the parade. RTD’s Light Rail provides uninterrupted service before and after the Parade with parking available at RTD park-n-ride locations. The H, F and D-lines will bring spectators directly to the Parade route. However, during the Parade, these lines will be temporarily suspended on Stout and California between 14th and 18th streets, and passengers will need to get off at the Theatre District/Convention Center or 18th and Stout stations. For more information and light rail schedules, call RTD at 303.299.6000 or visit www.RTD-Denver.com.

For more information about the Parade of Lights, please visit www.DenverParadeOfLights.com.