Bismarck Tribune

By TONY SPILDEBy TONY SPILDE

Two Bismarck groups are about to throw the electric switch on the Christmas season, Griswold-style.

First up with its hand on the lever is the Downtowner's Association, which will hold the annual Lights on Broadway Parade at 7 p.m. Dec. 1. The parade precedes the weekend launch of Christmas in the Park, the Sertoma Club's month-long light show.

Now that Thanksgiving is history, holiday shopping and the countdown to Christmas can begin in earnest. To celebrate the transition - and to bring some of those shopping dollars downtown - the Downtowners will host the 18th annual light parade.

The 40-unit, colorfully lit parade will start at First Street and Broadway Avenue, travel east to Fifth Street and then south toward Kirkwood Mall. Downtown retailers will keep their doors open later than normal to accommodate parade-goers, and street vendors will sell hot chocolate and other festive treats.

Santa and his elves also will be downtown on Dec. 1.

Stephanie Iwaniw, executive director of the Downtowners, expects between 1,000 and 2,000 people to head downtown for the event.

"There are a lot of people interested in it every year," Iwaniw said. "I started getting calls in late September from people wondering when it was going to be. That gave me a lot of hope for how it will turn out."

The day after the parade, the Sertoma Club will light up Sertoma Park with about 50 Christmas decorations.

The 11th annual Christmas in the Park lighted display will run from 6 to 10 p.m. each day, from Dec. 2 through the end of the month. The decorations are set up so visitors to the park can drive by them, and a dedicated radio signal will play holiday tunes throughout the evening.

Admission to Christmas in the Park is $5 per vehicle, with proceeds going to speech- and hearing-related charities.

About 20 of the displays were created by members of the Sertoma Club, and the rest were set up by area businesses and organizations.

(Reach reporter Tony Spilde at 250-8260 or tony.spilde@;bismarcktribune.com.)