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Seminole ready for Christmas parade

Santa's still the main attraction, but a new date, time and route have tripled the number of cars and floats to register for the event.

SEMINOLE - Santa Claus will still be the grand marshal, waving his gloved hand and tossing candy from the parade's final float.

But His Jolliness is one of the few constants to this month's Christmas parade. After years of low attendance, organizers have arranged a new date, time and route that, they say, have already inspired three times as many cars and floats to register for the parade.

The evening parade will be held Sunday instead of the day after Thanksgiving, which proved to be "just a bad time," said parade chairman Doc Kinsey. Kids were out of school and families were likely to head out of town for the holiday break. Those who did stick around hardly showed up at the parade that circled Seminole Mall.

So this year's committee started its planning with an overarching decision:

Make it bigger, try something new and see what happens.

Then came the suggestions that shaped the event into "a good ol' night parade in Seminole," said Kinsey.

The Seminole High School band will lead the parade at 6:30 p.m., marching from the city library at 9200 113th St. N and heading south toward Seminole Mall on Park Boulevard, where the parade route ends.

Santa and Mrs. Claus, riding in the grand marshal's float with an entourage that includes a band and Christmas carolers, will step inside the mall for a meet-and-greet with young revelers. Kinsey said the mall will extend its hours to 10 p.m.

Forty-two cars, trucks and 40-foot floats have signed up for the 1.3-mile route, and all are required to illuminate the streets with Christmas lights. This year's theme is "Bright Before Your Eyes."

Officials will close 113th Street from 102nd Avenue to Park Boulevard, but organizers expect only minor disruptions to traffic flow because the parade will be held on a Sunday evening.