Tree Lighting Friday, Parade Saturday to Kick Off Christmas Season in Bristol

Friday night’s Chirstmas tree lighting on Mill Street will kick off the holiday season in Bristol Borough.

The beautiful tree will be lit at 6:30 p.m. It’s a tradition that has been hosted by the Bristol Borough Business Association since the early 1950s.

The holiday cheer continues of Saturday when Santa comes to Bristol as the annual Christmas Parade is set to start at 1 p.m.

All year long the Bristol Parade Christmas Committee, lead by co-chairs Ellen Scancella and Linda McClain,m have been hard at work insuring the holiday highlight of the season is a sight to behold for parade goers everywhere.

Crowd favorites returning this year are The Greater Kensington String band, LuLu Shriner Klowns, Garyoke, Truman High School Marching band as well as the Bristol Elks and Bristol Moose. Little ones are sure to be excited for Mickey and Minnie, and of course everyone’s favorite jolly old elf Santa and Mrs. Claus will be a part of the processional too.

This is the 32nd year for the Christmas parade, which draws thousands out every year and kicks of the holiday shopping season for businesses in the borough shopping district.

The procession will start on Farragut Ave at the Simon and Schuster lot, traveling  down Pond Street to the judges stand at the Borough Municipal building. and continuing onto Mill St and ending on  Cedar St in the Mill St Parking lot, organizers said.

The parade committee said Daisy Troop 9584 will be  collecting Toys for Tots at during the parade and are asking attendees to  bring new unwrapped toys to be collected on the parade route. Non-perishable food items will be collected by The Ancient Order of the Hibernian’s assisted by Boy Scout troop 221.

For the kids who want to send Santa their wish lists, the parade committee will be collecting  letters for St. Nick on the route also so be sure to have the little ones. The parade committee asks  a return  address to be included so Santa can respond.

All of the boroughs  local fire companies will take part in the procession also joined by the Edgely and  Tullytown fire companies also.

Parade members will also be accepting donations toward the 2014 parade along the parade route.