Over 10,000 expected at Christmas parade
KUCHING: More than 10,000 people are expected at this year’s Kuching Christmas Parade – the largest and most colourful annual street event – which takes place this Saturday from 6pm.
This year, the parade is organised by the Association of Churches in Sarawak (ACS), in which Methodist Church SCAC is the main organising church, and supported by Kuching Ministers’ Fellowship.
Organising chairperson William Ting said the theme for this year’s Christmas parade is ‘ Hope in Jesus Christ’, as they desire to bring eternal hope to the people of Kuching in spite of all the challenges faced.
“The aim is to spread the true meaning of Christmas which will bring love and peace to the people of Kuching,” he told a press conference here yesterday.
All parade members are advised to assemble at MBKS Jubilee
The aim is to spread the true meaning of Christmas which will bring love and peace to the people of Kuching.
Ground (adjacent to Chung Hua Primary School No. 3) at 6pm.
“Praise and worship will start at 6.30pm. The parade will commence at 7pm and gifts will be distributed to the public starting at 8pm along the parade route. The entire parade is expected to last one-anda-half hours,” he explained.
The parade will start from Jubilee Ground to the HSBC roundabout and proceed along Jalan Padungan, Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman ( Kuching Waterfront), Lebuh Temple ( Harbour View Hotel), Lebuh Wayang ( Star Cineplex), Jalan Tabuan (Ting & Ting Supermarket and Borneo Hotel), Jalan Ban Hock ( Grand Continental Hotel and MBKS flats) and back to Jubilee Ground.
Ting added that churches here will be sending more than 7,000 participants for the parade.
“The highlights are Christmas caroling, 15 Christmas floats, eight brass musical bands, costume display and street performance,” he said.
The participating churches are Roman Catholic Church, Anglican Church, Methodist Church SCAC, Methodist Church SIAC, BEM ( SIB) Church, The Seventh-Day Adventist Church, The Salvation Army, Sarawak Baptist Church, Blessed Church, Hope Church Kuching, Calvary Family Church, Gereja Grace Sentral (AOG), GIS Gospel Harvest Kuching, Sarawak Grace Church, Good News Fellowship, City Harvest Church, Fellowship of Evangelical Students ( FES) and Latter Rain Church Kuching.
Meanwhile, ACS secretarygeneral Elder Ambrose Linang called on all Christians and non- Christians alike to join the parade and celebrate Christmas in harmony.
Members of the public are advised to drive with care this Saturday as traffic at the above mentioned route will be affected from 7pm to 9pm, while the road near MBKS Jubilee Ground will be restricted to traffic from 5pm to 10pm.
William Ting, Organising chairperson