NEWS INFORMATION FROM |
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THE OFFICE OF MAYOR STEPHEN R. REED |
FOR IMMEDIATE USE |
“FAVORITE HOLIDAY STORIES” COME TO LIFE AT THE 2004 HARRISBURG HOLIDAY PARADE; SET FOR SATURDAY, NOV. 20 AT 10:00 A.M. IN DOWNTOWNHarrisburg, PA—Mayor Stephen R. Reed today invited residents and visitors from throughout Central Pennsylvania to the City of Harrisburg’s 2004 Holiday Parade, set to begin at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 20 in downtown Harrisburg. The event marks the start of the 2004 Thanksgiving-Hanukkah-Christmas-Kwanzaa-New Year Season in the Greater Harrisburg Region. Reed said the Harrisburg Holiday Parade was once an annual tradition that came to a close years ago, and was begun anew by the Mayor in 1986, and has since grown to become the region’s largest holiday parade. Over $7,500 in appearance monies and cash prizes are awarded to the top five entries in five categories of parade competition. The City-sponsored and produced parade is also a sanctioned competition of the high school Cavalcade of Bands, which produces judged competitions for high school marching bands all over the United States. The Mayor said the 2004 Holiday Parade theme is “Favorite Holiday Stories” and features over 2,500 marchers in over a hundred parade units, including giant helium filled balloons, youth marching units, over a dozen marching bands, and scores of commercial and non-profit floats, fire trucks and the first official appearance of Santa Claus in the region. Reed said on-air personalities from WHTM Television, ABC27, will emcee the Parade, and will rebroadcast it at 10:00 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day. The Harrisburg Holiday Parade is the only midstate holiday parade to gain televised status, thus allowing those unable to attend the parade in person to still enjoy the high quality, holiday entertainment production. The Mayor said Parade winners would be announced and presented with their trophies in the Strawberry Square Atrium, beginning at 1:00 p.m. Reed said the popular Harrisburg Festival of Lights, first begun by the Mayor in 1993, will also kick off that day, featuring thousands of sparkling lights placed throughout the downtown and on City Island. The Mayor said the City of Harrisburg annually plans and produces the Holiday Parade and Festival of Lights, and is this year joined by co-sponsors Bon Ton Department Stores, Clear Channel Radio, Coca Cola Bottling Company, Comcast, Crown Plaza Hotel, FastSigns, Giant Grocery Stores, Nextel Partners, Pennsy Supply, PinnacleHealth System, PNC Bank, PSECU, Remax Realty Professionals, Saturn of Harrisburg, Strawberry Square, Subway Restaurants, Susquehanna Harley Davidson, Turkey Hill Minit Markets and WHTM ABC27. Reed said the Holiday Parade route begins at the formation area on City Island and then crosses the Market Street Bridge into downtown. Marchers proceed east on Market Street to Market Square, where the judges and broadcasting review stands are located. The Parade goes north on N. Second Street to North Street, where it turns west to Front Street, south on Front Street to the Market Street Bridge, where it turns west goes back across to City Island where it disbands. On-street parking is free for the day except on Parade route streets, where parking is banned after 6:00 a.m. on Parade Day until after post-parade clean up activities are concluded. Vehicles left on parade route streets will be ticketed and towed at the owner’s expense. Normal event parking fees will be charged at the Market Square and Locust Street parking garages from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Parking in the Walnut Street Garage is not free and is limited to Hilton Hotel and Towers, Whitaker Center and Strawberry Square parking. The Mayor said Parade attendees are encouraged to make a full day of it in downtown, starting with the Holiday Parade, then a visit to Strawberry Square and other downtown shops and eateries, followed by a stop at the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts and the Select Medical IMAX Theater, and concluding with a relaxing drive around City Island’s Festival of Lights. Area motorists are advised that the Market Street Bridge will be closed to through traffic on Parade Day until after the conclusion of the Parade. The Bridge will close at 7:00 a.m. on Nov. 20 and accessible to parade participants and units only, and then reopen to all traffic after the parade has disbanded. XXX |
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