Jana Dobbs is with CornerBank, the title sponsor for the Old-Fashioned Christmas Parade, which will be Saturday, Dec. 2.

dorothyhr

Will this weather cause the parade to be cancelled?

Barkman

What is being done to ensure no one erroneously steps in horse drops in the post-parade frenzy?

Rock_Solid

How is the parade funded (ie: how do you entice participants and how do you pay for all of the expenses involved with an event of this size)?

Moderator

Hi, everybody. Thanks for joining us today. With us is Jana Dobbs, of CornerBank, title sponsor for the Downtown Old-Fashioned Christmas Parade.

Jana Dobbs

Hi everyone. It’s looking a lot like Christmas out there!

Moderator

Jana, right now people may be wondering how inclement weather will affect Saturday’s parade. Have there been any announcements or changes so far?

Jana Dobbs

We have had a few cancellations of entries due to the bad road conditions. However, the parade is still on. We would have to cancel if the streets are icy on Saturday morning, as that would create unsafe conditions for the horses.

chapdaddy

what time does the parade start? for some reason, the date is listed, but not the time. Happy Festivus!

Jana Dobbs

The parade starts at 11 a.m. at 7th & Mass. It generally lasts about an hour. Feliz Navidad!

Moderator

Do you have an estimate right now about how many parade entries there will be?

Jana Dobbs

We have about 100 entries right now. That translates to more than 300 horses. One unique addition this year is a one-horse open sleigh that is bringing in Santa. It is being provided by Dunn’s Landing in Wellsville.

Moderator

Where do all the out-of-towners stay during their visit to Lawrence?

Jana Dobbs

We have people at several different hotels – Holiday Inn Express, Best Western, Hampton Inn and The Eldridge.

Jana Dobbs

I should mention, too, that we have many downtown businesses opening early Saturday morning, so people can shop before the parade. Many people will come park early and the extra hours will provide them an opportunity to visit these businesses, many of whom support the parade. A complete listing of businesses that will be open and their opening times will be in the Journal-World on Friday and Saturday.

Moderator

Can you tell us more about how the parade is funded and the new LLC?

Jana Dobbs

We have more than 80 sponsors that make this event possible. CornerBank and Downtown Lawrence Inc. are title sponsors. We have several businesses, including CornerBank, Downtown Lawrence, The World Company, Schumm Foods, Bradley Farms, Zarco 66, Lawrence Chamber of Commerce and Kennedy Glass, who have formed an LLC to ensure the long-term viability of the parade. We are the coordinating group for the event.

Jana Dobbs

All of the sponsors will be listed in Journal-World ads Friday and Saturday. Please take a few minutes, if you’re in one of these stores, to express appreciation for their sponsorships. Events like this one make Lawrence unique and they would not be possible without the support of local businesses.

Rock_Solid

What time should I be downtown if I want to see the parade in person?

Jana Dobbs

The parade starts at 11 a.m., but I would encourage you to come early to find a good parking spot and to shop downtown. We’ll have announcers at 7th, 9th and 11th who will start festivities around 10:30 – probably singing some Christmas carols with the crowd.

Jana Dobbs

Our announcers this year:
7th & Mass: Hank Booth & Marty Kennedy
9th & Mass: Phil Bradley & Jana Dobbs
11 & Mass: Kim Murphree & Doug Teubner

CornerBank’s President/CEO, Bruce Schwyhart, will provide commentary on Channel 6 with Greg Hurd.

Shelby

Have there been any complaints regarding the religious implications of such a parade?

Jana Dobbs

None whatsoever.

Moderator

If people want to participate with entries in the future, whom should they contact, and how early in the year?

Jana Dobbs

CornerBank is the coordinating sponsor, so interested parties should contact the bank at 785-838-9400 or email lawrencechristmasparade@hotmail.com or janad@cornerbanks.com. We start preparations in July. No motorized entries are allowed – only horse-drawn entries and riding groups of 6 riders or more.

Moderator

Is there anything else readers should know about Saturday’s event that we haven’t asked yet?

Jana Dobbs

This parade is a wonderful start to the holiday season. Please come and join us for this outstanding event. If you do come, please leave pets at home as they may startle the horses. The parade is so much fun to watch, we have partnered with Sunflower Broadband to make replays of the parade available On Demand throughout December. Enjoy!

Moderator

Jana, thanks for coming in to chat with us. Hopefully the weather will hold up for Saturday’s event.

Jana Dobbs

Thank you! See you Saturday at 11 a.m. in downtown Lawrence for some old-fashioned holiday fun!

Moderator

For more information about holiday events this season, check out the Holiday Happenings & Gift Catalog from your Nov. 26 newspaper, or look for events online here at www.ljworld.com.