Courtesy Ballston Spa Business & Professional Associatiom
The Village of Ballston Spa will soon become a winter wonderland. The Ballston Spa Business & Professional Association has begun preparations for its annual Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting taking place on Friday, December 1st on Milton Avenue.
A hometown style tradition, this December favorite typically draws hundreds of spectators to Ballston Spa to watch the brightly decorated floats, fire trucks and community groups parading through the village. The parade steps-off at 6:30pm on the north side of Milton Avenue and proceeds to West High Street. Following the parade, Mr. and Mrs. Claus will arrive on the back of an Eagle-Matt Lee Fire Company truck to light the tree in Wiswall Park.
We are excited to announce the parade entries will be judged this year in the following categories: Best Emergency Vehicle Entry, Best Float Entry, Best Walking Entry, and the Brightest Light Award. The brighter and more festive the better.
The parade will once again spotlight the Toys for Tots campaign, in partnership with the Ballston Spa Community Emergency Corps, Saratoga County Sheriff Department and the U.S. Marine Corps. Volunteers from these organizations will be on hand to collect donations of new, unwrapped toys from spectators along the parade route as well as at the tree lighting.
“We look forward to this event all year,” said Michelle Burlingame, Holiday Parade Committee Chairperson. “It’s always an exciting evening that brings festive holiday cheer to the entire village.”
The parade headlines a holiday themed “First Friday” in Ballston Spa. Home to unique shops, museums, and popular restaurants, Ballston Spa pulls out the stops for December’s First Friday by filling the village with a merry atmosphere. Many businesses will be open with special holiday activities and specials, while Ballston Spa High School singers and musicians as well as Union Fire Company band members perform carols on the street corners.
Parade Registration is now open. Sponsorship opportunities are currently available for businesses and organizations who would like to help support the parade. The event is free to spectators. To learn more about the Ballston Spa Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting, visit www.ballson.org