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The crowds and festive groups returned for the 2021 St. Cloud Christmas Parade. The 2022 edition starts Saturday at 10 a.m., with a pre-show concert at 9. PHOTO/ROCHELLE STIDHAM
It’s a big holiday weekend in The Cloud!
The City of St. Cloud will kick off the holiday season with the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony. The tree lighting ceremony will be at Centennial Park on Friday from 4-6 p.m. Enjoy student musical performances, lighting of the tree and visits with Santa.
Then the St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce 2022 Annual Christmas Parade presented by Orlando Health, St. Cloud Hospital on Saturday, starting at 10 a.m.. This year’s Christmas parade theme is “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”. A pre-parade concert will be at 9 a.m.
The parade starts at the Lakefront, travels on Massachusetts Ave. to 12th Street then on Florida Avenue and back to the Lakefront.
In conjunction with the parade, the 44th Annual St. Cloud Holiday Festival will be held on Saturday and Sunday. This free event boasts 185 booths of crafters, vendors, children’s craft and chalk art contest, festival food, local shopping and a classic car show on Sunday. Santa will be on-site both days. The festival is family friendly and has loads of entertainment.
The classic car show is welcoming all antique and classic cars 1979 and older. Show off your ride — prizes will be awarded! Entry fee is $5 with an unwrapped toy, $10 without a toy. Proceeds benefit the children of Help Now of Osceola.
There will be a shuttle service this year running during the parade, festival and throughout the holiday season through Jan. 13. Mears Connect will be operating a shuttle service Monday through Friday, 1-6 p.m., during the tree lighting, parade and holiday festival, during and after the Dec. 14 Monthly Market, and during and after Rocking the Cloud for New Year’s.
The vehicle is an 11-passenger van with a “St. Cloud Downtown Shuttle” digitally displayed on the front window. The route will start at the Lakefront and include stops at First United Methodist Church parking lot (701 Ohio Ave.), St. Cloud Shuffle-Board parking lot (Ohio and 10th St.), St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce (1200 New York Ave.) and Lakefront Park.
For more information, go to www.stcloudholiday festival.com.
The City of St. Cloud invites you to participate in Hopkins Park Master Plan Public Workshop on Wednesday, Dec. 7 from 5-7 p.m. The public workshop will be held at the Hopkins Park Community Center (620 E. 17th St.). Meet with the City’s team of project consultants and share your ideas for the future of Hopkins Park.
For more information, contact St. Cloud Parks & Recreation at 407-957-7243.
Harmony Winterfest will be held on Friday, Dec. 9 from 3:30-7 p.m. at the Harmony Town Square (7250 Harmony Square Dr.). There will be crafters and food vendors as well as children’s activities.
If you have any St. Cloud news or information that you would like to share, call Lisa Goldmacher at 407-319-9700 or email lcgoldmacher@yahoo.com.
