Thousands of people come to Po-town each year for the holiday season’s kickoff event: the Celebration of Lights Parade & Fireworks, to be held this year on Friday, December 3 at 6:30 p.m. In conjunction with the Bardavon and the Poughkeepsie River District Business Association, the City of Poughkeepsie presents the Celebration of Lights Parade, which will be led by mayor John Tkazyik and members of the Common Council. The downtown streets will ring with music and fanciful floats in a procession that includes the Amerscott Highland Pipers, the Poughkeepsie High School Jazz Ensemble, the Poughkeepsie Middle School Choir, the Poughkeepsie Exempt Firemen’s Association Color Guard, DARE, the Arlington Rotary Club, the Columbia Elementary School PTA, multiple Girl and Boy Scout troops from Dutchess County and several Hudson Valley Philharmonic brass ensembles. Also joining the parade will be the Arm-of-the-Sea Theatre and IABAS Traditional Brazilian Band, with 200 children from Warring, Morse and Kreiger schools. And don’t miss the classic cars supplied by Thunder Road Cruisers or the hayride supplied by Al’s Garage. Finally, Santa Claus will make his grand entrance on a City of Poughkeepsie fire engine!

The parade starts at 6:30 p.m. at the corner of Main and Garden Streets, and will march to a Christmas tree-lighting on Main near Market Street. A second tree-lighting will thrill onlookers at Dongan Square Park. Then, at 7:15, revelers will be treated to the area’s only winter fireworks display along Poughkeepsie’s waterfront, sponsored by Legion Fireworks. Throughout the evening, River District establishments (Amici’s, the Derby, Caffe Aurora, Mahoney’s, Milanese, Noah’s Ark, River Station and Spanky’s) will offer entertainment and food and beverage specials.

Following the parade and fireworks, the Bardavon will present a screening of the 1983 family film classic A Christmas Story at 8 p.m., preceded at 7:30 p.m. with a concert on the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ. The holiday film favorite, directed by Bob Clark, is based on the short stories and semi-fictional anecdotes of author and raconteur Jean Shepherd, including material from his books In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash and Wanda Hickey’s Night of Golden Memories. The film has since become a holiday classic, repeatedly broadcast all day on Christmas Eve. Seeing it on the big screen will be a memorable treat!

Parking is readily available in City of Poughkeepsie municipal lots. For further info, check out the Bardavon website at www.bardavon.org or call the Bardavon box office at (845) 473-2072.