By Amarinda Keys
Children’s Discovery Museum
WATERVILLE – After two years, the Parade of Lights was back, on Saturday, Nov. 26.
This annual event has drawn thousands of families for many years and is a fun and festive kickoff to the holiday season. The Children’s Discovery Museum collaborated with the cities of Winslow and Waterville to host this year’s event.
Floats assembled at Winslow High School, traveled down Benton Avenue, crossed the U.S. Route 201 bridge over the Kennebec River into Waterville, then traveled up Main Street, and finished at the intersection of Elm and Main streets and College Avenue.
Santa made his entrance in a horse-drawn carriage. Floats included dancers from SP4D, a collection of Jeeps from Central Maine Jeep Owners, and fire trucks and police cruisers from local towns.
This year’s parade also had a float competition, determined by a panel of judges. The winning float was Living Water Community Church, with a float featured “The Chronicles of Narnia.” Runnerup was Hamlin’s Marine, with a festively lit boat. This year’s grand marshal was longtime community volunteer and local martial arts instructor and photographer Mark Huard.
The parade kicked off the Kringleville season, a long-standing holiday tradition that is now organized by the Children’s Discovery Museum and held at Head of Falls, on Front Street. Santa will visit with children (visit kringleville.org for the schedule), and weekends will also feature free hot chocolate,
giveaways and special activities, made possible by local businesses and organizations. Every child who visits with Santa will leave with a book donated by the Mid Maine Chamber of Commerce and Marden’s. Families will have the opportunity to buy a photo with Santa, taken by Central Maine Photography.
PHOTOS: Parade of Lights elves (above) included Caitlin Walker, Children’s Discovery Museum community programs and relations coordinator; Jeremy Walker; Children’s Discovery Museum Board of Directors Rick Bryant. Dancers from Stage Presence Company Line during the Parade of Lights Nov. 26 (below) include, from left, Malyn Beaster, Dinah Lemelin, Emmy Carlson, Lizzie Schmitt, Lexi Reynolds, Hayden Gates, Haley Martin, Addie Blackstone, Ailie Rancourt-Smith, Nevaeh Mason, Autumn Sawyer, Brooklynn Ferreira, Addie Benavente and Jayda-Ray Atkinson. (Kevin Giguere/Central Maine Photography photos)
