PORT ANGELES — Saturday’s first Lamps and Lanterns Holiday Parade has taken a detour to the north.
The colorful display of lights, floats and vehicles will move along Railroad Avenue instead of Front and First streets to avoid multiple street closures and detours, said Port Angeles Downtown Association Executive Director Arla Holzschuh.
“This is the first year,” Holzschuh said.
“Hopefully next year it will be much larger and more worthwhile closing the streets.”
The procession of flashlights, lanterns and other lights is patterned after similar parades in Boise, Idaho, which has been around since 1993, and Montesano.
Holzschuh said these types of parades are very popular in other communities because of the visual display of a large collection of lights.
The parade will be staged in one of the parking lots at Front and Oak streets, Holzschuh said.
Parade starts about 6 p.m.
Railroad Avenue will be shut down at about 6 p.m. or after the MV Coho vehicle traffic has cleared, she said.
Then the parade will proceed north on Oak Street to Railroad Avenue, east on Railroad to the City Pier, then back to Oak Street along Railroad.
“Right now we have 20 applications in hand and we’ve also had some people say they may show up,” Holzschuh said.
Some of the entries include an antique log truck playing holiday music, the Port Angeles Senior Center, Port Angeles Downtown Association, Boy and Cub Scout troops and the Youth of Light Venture Crew with a lighted vehicle “pulled” by “reindeer.”
“We have a limited supply of lanterns for last-minute entrants, plus some flashlights,” Holzschuh said.
“Flashlights are good to use . . . there’s no open flame allowed.
“This is the newest activity downtown during the holidays, along with the pole decorations, snowflakes across the street, street tree lighting and the downtown tree lighting.
“We’re just building on the PADA’s activities during the holidays.”