Marseilles set to celebrate Christmas season Saturday

Holiday Magic Lighted Santa Parade, followed by Light Up Knudson Park planned

Marseilles’ annual Holiday Magic Lighted Santa Parade and Light Up Knudson Park begins at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4, with line-up for participants beginning at 4:30 p.m. at 200 Riverfront Drive.

The parade tours Marseilles neighborhoods as it heads north on Main Street to Clark Street, where it heads west until Sycamore Street, turns on Commercial Street heading east until Main Street. It will then follow Broadway Street to Chicago Street, rounding the curve by the elementary school to head west on Lincoln Street back to Knudson Park.

There will be a lighting ceremony and children will have the opportunity to take pictures with Santa under the bandstand, with children standing next to Santa instead of sitting on his lap as a pandemic precaution.

Candy bar snowmen will be handed out by the Marseilles Lions Club as supplies last. There will be craft booths, a TNT hot cider fundraiser and train rides 6 to 8 p.m. Magic Mark will perform 6 to 7:30 p.m.

The Brookfield 4-H Aces will be serving hot cocoa for donations and they will be collecting for crayons, colored pencils, markers, adult coloring books and large print word searches to be donated to Aperion Care in Marseilles. Girl Scout Troop 1667 will be singing Christmas carols.

Children can send their letters to Santa by placing them in the box next to Santa. Don’t forget to include a mailing address for Santa to write back.

The Marseilles Tourism and Park Committee also is putting together a list of decorated homes to help keep up with the tradition of driving around the community and looking at lights. To have a home or business added, call Kathy at 815-795-2414 by Friday, Dec. 10.