Central Avenue, beginning at the junction of Whittington and Park avenues, will be closed to through traffic on Monday, December 4 for the annual Oaklawn Rotary Christmas Parade. Street closing will begin at Whittington Avenue at 6 p.m. Central Avenue will close at 6:20 p.m. The parade, which includes 88 entries, will begin at 6:30 p.m. The rain date is December 5.
The parade will proceed south on Central Avenue, turning east at Orange Street and disbanding at the Transportation Plaza on Broadway Street. Motorists are asked to remove all parked cars from the parade route by 5 p.m. on parade day. 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.
This year’s parade, with the theme “The Magic of Christmas,” features local magician Maxwell Blade as the grand marshal. Parade sponsors include Superior Senior Care; Sanders Plumbing & Lighting; Jordan Woosley Crone & Keaton, Ltd.; Pete Blakeslee; Seiz Sign Company; and Yesco Sign & Lighting, with support from the City of Hot Springs.