Mayor’s Tree Lighting, parade and more tonight in downtown Tonganoxie
Shawn F. Linenberger/Staff
The tree is up outside Tonganoxie Public Library and ready for tonight's Mayor's Tree Lighting ceremony and parade. Festivities start t 5 p.m. with the parade.Tonganoxie once again will have the Mayor’s Christmas Tree Lighting event, but the tree will be in a new spot in the downtown district.
The tree for the last several years has stood in the pocket park at Fourth and Delaware streets, but this year the tree will be down Fourth Street to the west at Tonganoxie Public Library.
For the second straight year, there will be a parade, but this year’s parade will head west down Fourth Street and finish up at the library.
The parade starts at 5 p.m. Saturday.
The tree-lighting ceremony will take place after the parade.
Hot chocolate will be served after the parade and youths will get to meet Santa Claus inside Tonganoxie Public Library, which will be open until 9 p.m. for the special event. There also will be some performances after the parade.
This year’s theme is the Grinch.
Admission is free for the lighting ceremony.
In conjunction with the ceremony, Tonganoxie Elementary School again is having a canned food drive. The drive started Nov. 7 and concluded Thursday.
The class that gathers the most canned goods will be asked to walk with Mayor David Frese in Saturday’s parade. The class in each grade level with the most donations will earn a prize, while the overall top class will earn a pizza party with the mayor.