SILOAM SPRINGS -- The Heritage League of Siloam Springs' annual Christmas Parade will be held at 5 p.m. today in downtown Siloam Springs.
This year's parade, called "Christmas Lights and Starry Nights," will be a traditional in-person parade again where people stand along the street as parade floats pass by, said Heritage League President-Elect Linda Gutierrez.
"We expect to see a large crowd of smiling, happy faces Saturday night," Gutierrez said.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, last year's parade was done drive-through style where floats were stationary, and people drove past the floats at John Brown University.
There will be other differences for this year's parade, Gutierrez said. First, there will be food vendors in a parking lot, Gutierrez said. The lineup of vendors include Beaver Tails, V&A, Tasty Treats and Carstens Concessions.
Another noticeable difference will be the absence of Bob Coleman as Santa. This year, Kevin Williams will take Coleman's place as the "big guy," Gutierrez said.
Now in its 52nd year, the Heritage League's Christmas Parade has been a tradition since 1969, according to the Heritage League's website. The Heritage League would like to thank the city of Siloam Springs for helping to produce the event, the website states.