PCT File Photo Rugby kicked off the 2023 Christmas season with its annual Parade of Lights with the Northern Lights Snowmobile Club participating in the parade.

Next Saturday. Nov. 30, Rugby will be kicking off the winter season with a day full of festive activities which will wrap up with the Rugby Chamber of Commerce’s annual Parade of Lights.

The Parade of Lights begins Saturday at 6 p.m., and will go until 7:30 p.m., ending with a tree lighting ceremony of a new artificial, 14-foot LED Christmas tree that will be placed at Merchants Bank. The tree was set up by the Rugby Volunteer Fire Department.

Entries for the parade are not required to pre-register. Parties interested in being in the parade should line up at 5:30 p.m. in the Rugby High School parking lot.

“Anybody can be in the parade. We’re looking for as many entries as possible to make it a big parade,” said Laurie Odden, executive director with the Rugby Chamber of Commerce.

Parade entries can be sponsored by local businesses or can be civilians unaffiliated with a business.

Odden said the more lights that can be added to a float or parade entry, the better.

“We just ask you to show up and then we line floats up in the order that they arrive,” she said.

Some of the entries planned to ride are Rugby’s Snowmobile Club and Pierce County 4-H.

Santa Claus is also set to make a special guest appearance at the Christmas tree lighting ceremony. Santa will ride in the parade and stop off at the town Christmas tree to join in the celebration.

The Parade of Lights has been a staple of seasonal joy in Rugby for decades.

“It’s been an annual event for as long as I can remember,” Odden said.

Some new additions to the Parade of Lights include a couple of new photo op areas near the tree which include Christmas elf statues. The clock near the tree has also been restored.

Hot cocoa will be served by student members and adult volunteers of the Pierce County 4-H clubs. The cocoa will be a freewill donation and proceeds will be going toward the 4-H clubs impacted by Hurricane Helene.

“We’re just really excited for this year’s Parade of Lights,” Odden said. “The Rugby Jaycees kind of partner with us and they have a big event that day as well called Grinchmas.”

Odden said there will be Christmas caroling downtown this year throughout the day and the Rugby Girls Wrestling Team will also be downtown hosting a fundraiser.

“Then on Sunday we are debuting our series of the ‘My Town’ docu-series that we’re featured in. So it’s just really a great, fun weekend. We want people to be really excited Saturday and then to carry over that excitement to the premier on Sunday,” Odden said.