Kalamazoo Holiday Parade is Saturday

Welcome Santa and the holiday season with Kalamazoo's Country and all you friends downtown Kalamazoo.

Nearly 100 entries including bands, floats and hot-air balloons will crowd the downtown Kalamazoo Streets for the 54th annual Holiday Parade on Saturday morning.

Police will lead the procession, stepping off at 11 a.m. The route is the same as always, Lovell St. to Park St. then Michigan Ave. to Pritcher St.

Look for Kalamazoo's Country 102.5 and our friends from Weller Auto Parts.

Before the parade begins, volunteer groups will steer shopping carts along the streets, collecting canned goods for those in need. Every can makes a difference, please consider contributing something from the pantry. New this year is a donation booth on the Kalamazoo Mall by the big Santa. Pictures of people who donate will be displayed on a digital billboard for all of downtown to see.

Parade spectators will also be able to use mobile phones to vote for their favorite entries. Look for QR code signs along the parade route where voters will be directly linked to a voting page. The URL is: http://bIt.ly/kzooHP. The voting begins at 11 a.m. on November 14 and will end on the following day by 5 p.m.

It's not over when Santa and Mrs. Claus parade past- you are invited to dance on the downtown mall. Line dancing, dancing lessons, and dance movement are all things that will be happening immediately following the Kalamazoo Holiday Parade (around 12:30) to about 2 p.m.

Santa and Mrs. Claus will also be on the Kalamazoo Mall greeting families, kids, and even a pet or two. There will be games, activities and fun prizes for the kids.

The Department of Public Safety will have their fire truck, bomb squad, and officers will allow kids to climb, explore, and experience the world of Public Safety. Have some fun making a special holiday-themed craft at the arts and crafts table! Many of the stores downtown will offer special sales, offerings, and cool things in their stores.