‘Christmas in July’: 25th Annual Parade of Lights to Be Held This Saturday

July 18, 2018 · 1 minute read

The 25th annual James River Parade of Lights will be held this Saturday, July 21 with viewing opportunities at three Richmond-area locations. The Parade of Lights, hosted by the James River Advisory Council, is normally held in December, but inclement weather forced organizers to cancel last year.

“We couldn’t miss the 25th anniversary of this cherished event,” JRAC Executive Director Kimberly Conley said. “So we decided to make it a summer party with a ‘Christmas in July’ theme. This event will be a real treat with warmer temperatures and fun takes on our traditional holiday displays.”

Beginning at 6 p.m., decorated boats will parade down the James from the city of Richmond to the Varina-Enon Bridge. Admission is free. The parade may be viewed at these sites:

Ancarrow’s Landing, 2000 Brander St., Richmond – viewing site only; Osborne Park and Boat Landing, 9530 Osborne Turnpike, Richmond – DJ, children’s games and food vendors; Henricus Historical Park, 251 Henricus Park Road, Chester – children’s activities and food vendors.

More details are available at https://jrac-va.org/signatureevents/annual-parade-of-lights/. The rain date is July 22. Viewers are encouraged to bring nonperishable donations to support FeedMore. The most needed items are peanut butter, canned proteins (tuna, salmon, etc.), canned fruits or vegetables, beans, whole grains and whole grain cereals, tomato products, and healthy snacks (raisins, fruit cups and granola bars).

Interested boaters can still register at www.jrac-va.org. Call Conley at (804) 748-1567 for media interviews before the event. Media are invited to view the parade at any of the sites. Ask for the event site coordinator for assistance and more information.