LEXINGTON — The Light Up Lex! Annual Christmas Parade took to the streets of downtown Lexington to kick off the holiday season once again.
The parade is hosted each year in early December by the Lexington Area Chamber of Commerce.
Washington St. was crowded by families and children so they could catch a glimpse of the lights and floats. The crowd was treated to a mild evening by December standards. Edgewater Insurance provided free hot chocolate to the parade attendees.
Lexington Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Heather Heinemann said there were 43 different entries in the parade, which included 11 rigs from the Lexington Volunteer Fire Department.
The Lexington Police Department led the way for the parade and blocked off streets to ensure safety.
The Lexington Volunteer Fire Department finished the parade with several of their rigs, including one from the 1940s that carried Ol’ Saint Nick into town, a tradition they perform every year and always gets the kids in the crowd excited.
“I’ve seen multiple posts, received messages and phone calls from the businesses, organizations and spectators thanking me for such a wonderful event! Honestly, I couldn’t do it without the support of the amazing community of Lexington! Together, we get things done! Thank goodness the wind died down when it was time to line-up,” Heinemann said.
For the fourth time following the parade, a pancake feed and silent auction was held at the First United Methodist Church, the staging area for the parade, following the event. A meal of pancakes and sausage was prepared by the United Methodist Men.
The free-will offering for the meal and the silent auction purchases benefited Shining Star Preschool, once again.
