Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC), in partnership with Miracle on 7th Street, invites groups, organizations and businesses to participate in the seventh annual “Light Your Way” Christmas Parade, presented by Toyota of Terre Haute. Gold Level Sponsor is Prospect Bank. Entries are now being accepted for the parade, scheduled for 6 p.m. on December 2 in downtown Terre Haute.
Creative and unique entries aligned with the parade’s Christmas theme are being accepted from the community. Entries must be family-friendly, contain lights and portray a Christmas story or theme. Up to 80 entries will be accepted, and three awards will be given at the event: best overall, most creative and most lights.
“The Christmas parade is a wonderful Terre Haute event kicking off the holiday season,” said John Mace, director of conferences and events at SMWC. “The College is a proud sponsor of this event, and we invite everyone to join us in celebrating our community this season.”
This year, the parade will be the kickoff event for Miracle on 7th Street, compared to being the finale for the weekend. The 2023 parade route begins at 5th Street and Wabash Avenue, goes east on Wabash and continues until 9th Street, then turns north.
Since 2016, the Light Your Way Christmas parade has been the kickoff to the holiday season. Crowds at the parade have grown through the years with over 12,000 people in attendance in 2022. It has grown to accommodate up to 80 participants featuring marching bands, decorated floats, dancers, honored guests and, of course, Santa Claus.
Three Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College students are serving as student organizers of this year’s event. Interns Lauren Rindone, Hayle Leturgez and Isabell Coryea are hard at work preparing for the parade. “Our interns are always the backbone of planning this community-wide event. It wouldn’t be possible without their efforts,” said Mace. The deadline to submit parade entries is November 27, 2023. This will allow time for the approval of themes. For more information about the Light Your Way Christmas Parade, how to participate and more, visit https://www.smwc.edu/community/event-services/light-your-way-christmas-parade/.