Oaklawn Rotary Christmas Parade set for Dec. 9 downtown

The annual Oaklawn Rotary Christmas Parade, themed “The Music of Christmas” this year, will have 92 entries when it gets underway at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 9, in downtown Hot Springs.

If rained out, the parade will be moved to 6:30 p.m. Dec. 10.

On the day of the parade, motorists must remove all parked vehicles on the parade route by 5 p.m.

Beginning at the junction of Whittington and Park avenues, Central Avenue will close to through traffic at 6 p.m. and Central will close completely to traffic at 6:20 p.m. Central will remain closed to traffic during the parade.

According to an Oaklawn Rotary news release, 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 watchers are asked to stand on the sidewalk at all times and not on the street,” the release said. “Street vendors and throwing of candy are strictly prohibited.”

Rex Nelson, a senior editor and columnist for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, will be this year’s parade grand marshal.

Parade sponsors include GPS, Relyance Bank, Trent’s Floor Solutions, Gross Funeral Home, Morgan Stanley, JWCK, Ouachita Financial Advisors, Embassy Suites Hot Springs, Steamatic and Sanders Supply, with support from

the city of Hot Springs.

If the weather allows for the Dec. 9 parade, the parade awards ceremony will be at 10 a.m. Dec. 10 in the lobby of the Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa.

Awards will include Best

Decorated Float, Best Use of Theme, Best Use of Special Effects, Best Choreographed and Most Decorated Non-Float.

According to the release, the Christmas parade is a fundraiser for the Oaklawn Rotary Club.

“Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world.”