TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Cities and towns all across the Magic Valley are kicking off the holiday season, most of the big celebrations happen tonight and over the weekend.
In Twin Falls, the Festival of Lights parade gets underway at 6pm. It’s a major event every year, with more than 70 parade entries, participating in the procession down Main Avenue, and thousands of spectators who turn out.
Following the parade, the city will turn on the lights for the community Christmas tree in Downtown Commons.
Other Magic Valley communities are holding holiday events this weekend.
- Wendell is also holding a tree-lighting ceremony Friday night, that takes place at 7pm.
- On Saturday, Buhl's Light Paradeis at 6 pm, followed by a Chili cook-off.
- On Saturday, the 10th annual Christmas in Jerome was scheduled, but has been postponed due to forecasts of adverse weather.
- Both Shoshone and Richfieldare holding tree-lighting ceremonies Saturday night at 7pm.
- Goodinghas a full day of events scheduled for their holiday kickoff, from an early breakfast at the senior center to an all-day holiday craft show that starts at 10am. Santa will arrive in Gooding by firetruck at 2pm, and the Community tree lighting at 6pm, with a parade to follow at 6:30pm.
- On Monday the Burley Christmas paradewill run down Overland Ave, starting at 6pm.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
The parade starts at Magic Valley Alternative School on Dierkes Street, and runs eight blocks down Main Avenue, ending at Jerome Street. There’s a lot of room for spectators, but parking lots tend to fill up, and there are a lot of pedestrians all over downtown every year for this event.
I caught up with Parks and Rec director Wendy Davis, who told me about this year’s tree.
Davis says, “We go and pick out a live tree, usually the biggest we can find, bring it down here, put it in the center, dress it up, and then when we’re done we take it and plant it. And the last several years they’ve gone to the golf course, so the Christmas trees are now planted at the golf course being a ball hazard for unlucky golfers.”
