The annual Holiday Lighted Parade will be held Friday, Nov. 24, sponsored by the city of Perry Chamber of Commerce.
The parade — always held the night after Thanksgiving in downtown Perry — begins at 7 p.m., with parade entrants lining up at 6 p.m.
In order to encourage more floats to enter the parade, the Matt and Shanda Carstens Family Foundation is offering prize money to “the top three best, brightest and biggest parade floats,” according to Chamber Director Lynsi Pasutti, who said Perry Bucks in the amounts of $350, $250 and $150 will be awarded.
There is no cost to participate, and pre-registration is not required, but this year also brings an incentive to pre-register online: One lucky person who pre-registers will win one night at a Wells Fargo Suite for an Iowa Wild Hockey Game.
The Perry Holiday Lighted Parade will begin at the corner of Third Street and Otley Avenue and proceed northward Third Street, westward on Pattee Street then southward on Second Street through the heart of Perry downtown retail district.
Second Street will be closed between Otley Avenue and Pattee Street prior to and during the parade, and Otley Avenue will be closed between First Avenue and Third Street during the parade line-up beginning at 6 p.m.
Parade entrants should approach from the west on Otley Avenue or from the south on Second Street. Volunteers will be present to help organize the entrants.
“Matt and I are proud of our rural roots and care deeply about helping our communities keep their small-town traditions alive,” said Shanda Carstens, chair of the Matt and Shanda Carstens Family Foundation. “This event is the perfect way to kick off the holiday season and help support small businesses in Perry, and we encourage community members to join in the fun.”
Friday, Nov. 24 will also bring additional activities, including the Festival of Trees at the Carnegie Library Museum, caroling before the parade at the Hotel Pattee by the Perry High School Select Choir and Santa at the Hotel Pattee after the parade.
In partnership with the Matt and Shanda Carstens Family Foundation, a special promotion
will take place at Perry Perk on Saturday, Nov. 25 from 9 a.m. to noon, when a total of $1,000 in Perry Bucks purchased that day – up to $25 per person – will be matched by the foundation to support small businesses in the community.
