The City of Belleville will be adding three new installations and the first ever lights drone show to the Festival of Lights this year at Jane Forrester Park. Photo by Stephanie Clue, QNet News
By: Jessyka Maliksi
BELLEVILLE – The spirit of Christmas is coming to the city of Belleville early this year as they kick off with two holiday events this weekend, Nov. 17 and 19.
The Festival of Lights will run from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Jane Forrester Park on Friday, Nov. 17.
The Santa Claus Nighttime Parade will start at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov 19. at the Tim Horton’s on Bridge St. W. and Sidney St. and end at Bridge St. E. and Herchimer Ave.
The Festival of Light is Belleville’s official kick-off to the holiday season. It includes a large variety of Christmas lights on display with entertainment. There will be live music by Shirley Diane, food vendors, a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus, a new drone light show, and new installations.
The city will be having their first ever drone lights show.
According to Garnet Thompson, the chair of the Festival of Lights, the ten to 15 minutes drone lights show is a computerized showing of lights in the sky. The drones will form Christmas shapes, such as a snowman or Santa Claus, out of lights being shot up into the sky he says.
Thompson says the drones will work just like fireworks, but without the loud noises.
He says they are trying to make this year more interactive than the previous years.
“Make it as interactive with the public. We want to make sure that they feel a part of it,” says Thompson.
In addition to the first ever drone lights show, the festival will also be including three new installations paid for by donations: a gingerbread man, penguin, and an interactive snowman.
The interactive snowman will include a seat that people can sit on and take pictures with the snowman, as well as music playing when a person walks by or sits on it, Thompson says.
Thompson says this is a kids and family event but is specifically for the kids that don’t get much for Christmas.
“This is a beautiful display of lighting for families to enjoy.” he says.
“When you see the kids smile and laugh and the parents’ taking pictures of the kids, what’s better than that for leading up to the Christmas season?”
South Front St. beginning at Pinnacle St will be a temporary “traffic only” road closure.
Harbour Dr. between South Front St. and South Church St. will be fully closed.
On Sunday, the Santa Claus Nighttime Parade will be celebrating its 25th anniversary.
The parade will include over 75 Christmas decorated floats according to Tiffany Young, the special event coordinator at the Belleville Chamber of Commerce.
Young says this event is for the community and a way to give back to each other.
“It’s all about our community, for our community, and it’s a chance for all of us to celebrate Santa together,” she says, “It’s just a great opportunity for us to get together and be festive and enjoy.”
The parade will be led by elves collecting letters for Santa, food for Gleaners Food Bank, and toys for the Belleville Professional Firefighters Toy Drive.
The event will bring back pre-parade activities to help celebrate their 25th anniversary.
One of the activities is the Rotary Club of Belleville’s Live Reindeer display at the East Hill Robin Jeffrey Park.
The Glanmore Museum will also be hosting free arts and crafts activities on the front lawn.
In addition, The Pink Funnel will be handing out free hot chocolate and popcorn at Robin Jeffrey Park at 4 p.m. while supplies last, says Young.
Bell Canada will be at their old operating station on Bridge St. giving out hot chocolate for those closer to the downtown area.
The parade will be live broadcast on the local YourTV channel and will run repeats between now and Christmas, Young says.
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