Emporia should get good weather for its Christmas parade — but just barely.
Blake Smith, meteorologist for 49 News in Topeka, said that by the time the parade starts at 7 p.m. Tuesday, temperatures should be about 60 degrees. But once everything’s over, things could cool off fast.
“There’s a cold front coming in, but it should wait until after your parade,” Smith said this morning
He warned, however, that things could change quickly with even a slight difference in conditions.
“It’s one of those systems where if you’re 50 miles east of the front, you’ll see nice weather, but if you’re 50 miles west of it, it’ll be crappy,” he said.
The parade’s theme is “A Season to Sparkle.”
Several other downtown events will happen before the parade.
At 6 p.m. Tuesday will be the prize drawing for “7 Grand in Hand,” a giveaway where $7,000 in chamber gift certificates is distributed among 25 people. That will be followed by the 6:30 p.m. dedication and lighting ceremony if the Mayor’s Christmas Tree in front of CableOne, 714 Commercial St.
Chamber president and chief executive officer Jeanine McKenna said ticket sales for “7 Grand” had been slow, but that she hoped to see them pick up in the final day.
“It’s like last year. We’re not nearly in the range we need to be,” McKenna said. “But we had that mass frenzy last year where people bought tickets at the last minute. ... We do need that frenzy coming in.”
Tickets are available at the chamber office, 719 Commercial St. The office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. If at least 4,000 tickets are not sold, the chamber reserves the right to cut back the prize amounts.
The chamber doesn’t expect to have to do that, McKenna added, especially if there’s a last-minute crush like last year.
“That’s sort of the general nature of any promotion or activity,” she said. “We all tend to wait.”
Even earlier, at 4:45 p.m., Emporia State University will hold its annual star lighting ceremony in front of Plumb Hall. Before the lighting, entertainment will be provided by the Harmonious Voices of Praise choir. The star on Plumb Hall will be lit by Ray Hauke, the university’s vice president for fiscal affairs.
Also the ESU Student Foundation will begin its Light the Night fund-raiser to raise money for student scholarships and a local charity to be announced later. For the fund-raiser, the trees in front of Plumb Hall will be lit with colored lights. With every $5 raised, a light will be turned white. Contributions may be mailed to the ESU Foundation, 1500 Highland St., Emporia KS 66801, in care of the Student Foundation.
The parade itself starts at Fourth Avenue and proceeds up Commercial Street to 12th Avenue. It will be broadcast live on Channel 20 with commentary by McKenna, Ron Thomas of Emporia’s Radio Stations and Larie Schoap of Lyon County State Bank.