CITY OF WATERTOWN, NEW YORK

ROOM 302, WATERTOWN CITY HALL 245 WASHINGTON STREET WATERTOWN, NEW YORK 13601-3380 (315) 785-7730 FAX (315) 782-9014

SHARON ADDISON
CITY MANAGER

MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release November 26, 2013

HOLIDAY PARADE & DOWNTOWN TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY TO BE HELD ON FRIDAY DECEMBER 6, 2013 STARTING AT 5:30 P.M.
On Friday, December 6, 2013 at 5:30 p.m., Downtown Watertown will be full of holiday cheer and bustling with activity as Mayor Jeffrey E. Graham and members of the Watertown City Council host the annual Holiday Parade and Downtown Tree Lighting Ceremony on Public Square. The holiday festivities will begin at 5:30 p.m. on the north side of Public Square with a musical performance by the Jefferson Singers from Jefferson Community College. At 5:45 p.m., the annual Holiday Parade, featuring over 40 entries, including a special guest from the North Pole, will travel though Public Square. The parade route will start in the J.B. Wise Parking Lot, travel on Black River Parkway, enter Public Square at Mill Street and end in the Court Street Parking Lot. At 6:15 p.m., the Islanders Barbershop Chorus will take the stage. At approximately 6:30 p.m., following the choral performances and the parade, Mayor Jeffrey E. Graham and members of the City Council will kick off the holiday season with an official countdown to turn on the holiday music and light display. The music and light display features thousands of LED lights that are synchronized to a variety of holiday songs. The music and light display will run every 30 minutes each night from 4:30 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. from December 6, 2013 through January 3, 2014. After the parade and tree lighting, Santa and Mrs. Claus will be greeting children in the Public Square Gazebo through 7:30 p.m. Mulled cider, hot cocoa and coffee will also be served free of charge courtesy of the Downtown Business Association (DBA).

During the event, the DBA will be sponsoring the All Decked Out Christmas shopping promotion. Starting on December 3 and lasting through December 7, many downtown businesses will remain open late with great deals for your holiday shopping needs. The DBA is also encouraging people to give back this holiday season by sponsoring a food drive during the parade and tree lighting to benefit the Watertown Urban Mission. The DBA is asking those in attendance to bring a non-perishable food item(s) to drop off in one of several collection bins that will be located near the main stage. Any late parade entries will be accepted up until the start of the parade and will be placed in the line of march ahead of Santa Claus. Contact Parade Chairman Stanley Zaremba at 416-1087 for more information. Beginning at 3:00 p.m. on the day of the event, all travel lanes on the north side of Public Square will be closed to traffic and on street parking will be restricted. In addition, Black River Parkway, Court Street and portions of Mill Street will be closed to traffic for the parade, beginning at approximately 5:15 p.m. Temporary barricades, traffic cones and signage will be placed and a detour route will be established for the event. Parking will be available in the J.B. Wise Parking Lot or at one of the many free City parking lots in the downtown. Parade Contact: Stanley Zaremba (315) 416-1087 Tree Lighting Contact: Michael Lumbis (315) 785-7730 Downtown Business Association Contact: David Winters (315) 405-0142 ###