Christmas parade moves to Sunday

Lincoln’s annual Christmas parade will have not just a new co-sponsor, Main Street Lincoln, but also a new time and date - 1:30 p.m. Dec. 3, a Sunday, Main Street Lincoln director Wanda Rohlfs said today.

Rohlfs said Main Street’s board authorized the changes Monday, changes she said would better serve the Lincoln Community High School band, other marching bands and parade marchers.

Last year’s parade was limited in entries when marching bands and other entries dropped out the day of the parade - the bands reportedly out of a concern for damaging band members’ instruments in the cold.

Evening temperatures on parade day dipped into or near single digits.

“We wanted to have our high school band in the parade,” said Rohlfs, a retired high school teacher. “The temperature was so cold for little kids and adults. We want to try something” by rescheduling the event to a daytime festivity, at least this year.

Rohlfs said a Main Street Christmas parade committee will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday at Einstein’s to plan volunteer support for the event.

Rolhfs said Mayor Beth Davis’ concern is to continue having the event close to the Thanksgiving holiday.

The city provides parade sponsorship funds.

Main Street Lincoln President Dr. Kristen Green-Morrow said last week that the board voted to further investigate and strongly consider running the parade. She said a decision would be made this week.

The new date proposed would be within nine days of this year’s Nov. 23 Thanksgiving holiday.

Rohlfs said if the parade’s daytime format proves unpopular, the Christmas parade could be returned to an evening event.