The Oaklawn Rotary Christmas Parade, which includes 92 entries, will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, December 9 in downtown Hot Springs. The rain date will be the same time on Tuesday, December 10.
To increase pedestrian and vehicular safety, street closings for the Oaklawn Rotary Christmas Parade have been moved up to Whittington Avenue at 5 p.m. and Central Avenue at 6:10 p.m. The parade is slated for 6:30 p.m. on Monday, December 9 in downtown Hot Springs. The rain date will be the same time on Tuesday, December 10.
Motorists are asked to remove all parked cars from the parade route by 5 p.m. on the parade day. Central Avenue, beginning at the junction of Whittington and Park avenues, will be closed to through traffic during the parade. The street closings will begin at Whittington Avenue at 6 p.m., and Central Avenue will close at 6:20 p.m.
The parade will proceed south on Central Avenue, turn east at Orange Street and disband at Transportation Plaza on Broadway Street.
To ensure safety and allow for the space needed by marching groups, all parade watchers are asked to stand on the sidewalk at all times and not on the street. Street vendors and throwing of candy are strictly prohibited.
Rex Nelson, renowned Arkansas columnist and champion of downtown Hot Springs redevelopment, will serve as grand marshal of this year's parade, which is themed "The Music of Christmas."
The parade is sponsored by GPS, Relyance Bank, Trent’s Floor Solutions, Gross Funeral Home, Morgan Stanley, JWCK, Ouachita Financial Advisors, Embassy Suites Hot Springs, Steamatic and Sanders Supply, with support from the City of Hot Springs.
Trophies will be awarded for Best Decorated Float, Best Use of Theme, Best Use of Special Effects, Best Choreographed and Most Decorated Non-Float. The annual parade awards ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, December 10 in the lobby of the Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa.
The Christmas parade is a fundraiser for the Oaklawn Rotary Club. Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world.
For information, please contact HotSpringsChristmasParade@gmail.com.