Oaklawn Rotary Christmas Parade set for tonight

Nearly all original entries are expected to participate in today’s annual Oaklawn Rotary Christmas Parade, which was postponed from Monday due to rain, an Oaklawn Rotary spokeswoman said Monday.

The parade, which includes 88 entries, will begin at 6:30 p.m. today.

By midday Monday, only one entry had notified the parade’s organizers that it could not participate due to the date change. Other individuals who were part of a group entry said they cannot participate, but the remaining members of the group still plan to participate, she said.

All entrants were informed of the rain date on the initial parade entry form, so everyone had advance notice of this possibility, the spokeswoman said.

Because of the date shift, the annual parade awards ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. Wednesday in the lobby of the Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa.

Motorists are asked to remove all parked cars from the parade route by 5 p.m. today.

Central Avenue, beginning at the junction of Whittington and Park avenues, will be closed to through traffic during the parade. The street closings will begin at Whittington Avenue at 6 p.m., and Central Avenue will close at 6:20 p.m., according to a news release from the city of Hot Springs.

The parade will proceed south on Central Avenue, turn east at Orange Street and disband at Transportation Plaza on Broadway Street.

“To ensure safety and allow for the space needed by marching groups, all parade attendees are asked to stand on the sidewalk and not on the street. Street vendors and throwing of candy are strictly prohibited,” the news release said.

Maxwell Blade, master illusionist of the Maxwell Blade Theatre of Magic, will serve as grand marshal of this year’s parade, which is themed “The Magic of Christmas.”

Parade sponsors include Superior Senior Care, Sanders Plumbing & Lighting, Jordan Woosley Crone & Keaton Ltd., Pete Blakeslee, Seiz Sign Co., and Yesco Sign & Lighting, with support from the city of Hot Springs.