Downtown Dayton Drive-Thru Children’s Parade in Lights canceled

New this year is interactive lighting display along Main Street
The downtown Dayton Drive-Thru Children's Parade is canceled, but other events will happen — socially distanced, such as a new interactive light display along Main Street and a televised Grande Illumination. JIM NOELKER / STAFF FILE

The downtown Dayton Drive-Thru Children's Parade is canceled, but other events will happen — socially distanced, such as a new interactive light display along Main Street and a televised Grande Illumination. JIM NOELKER / STAFF FILE

The Downtown Dayton Drive-Thru Children’s Parade in Lights is canceled due to the surge in coronavirus cases and stay-at-home advisory in Montgomery County.

The Dayton Holiday Festival presented by Dayton Power and Light, which is celebrating its 48th year, will still have holiday celebrations people can enjoy from home and under current county health guidelines, according to a release from the Downtown Dayton Partnership.

New this year is an interactive lighting display along Main Street. Hundreds of trees will be aglow with lights in a choreographed synchronization spanning five blocks from Monument Avenue to Fifth Street.

“The silver — or should I say, ‘multi-colored’ — lining to this bad news is our community can still enjoy a festive drive-thru experience any time when they drive down Main Street,” said DDP President Sandra Gudorf. “This free light display will begin the day after Thanksgiving and run through early 2021, giving visitors lots of opportunities to share a socially distant moment with their families while celebrating the season, and patronizing their favorite downtown businesses.”

The Grande Illumination tree-lighting ceremony in downtown Dayton will be televised this year during a special 30-minute broadcast at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7 on WHIO-TV Channel 7.

“We know planning events during this pandemic has been challenging at every turn, and while we’re disappointed we won’t be able to present the community with a parade, we’re happy we have other options to share the spirit of the season with Dayton, like the televised Grande Illumination and Holiday Lights on Main.” Gudorf said. “We do want to remind our community that even though some of our normal festivities are different this year, one thing remains constant — our small businesses need our support more than ever. Please be sure to patronize those businesses in a safe and responsible manner any way you can this year.”

The DDP provides regular updates about downtown businesses that are open at DowntownDayton.org/Open, including operational hours, services, ordering links and more information.

The Dayton Holiday Festival is a program of the Downtown Dayton Partnership, and is presented by Dayton Power & Light. Additional support comes from White-Allen Chevrolet, CareSource, Dayton Children’s Hospital, NECA/IBEW Electrical Professionals, the city of Dayton, Montgomery County and the Mrs. Virginia W. Kettering Dayton Holiday Festival Fund.

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