Xandra Collin gives a thumbs up from his lighted four-wheel vehicle entered Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013 in the Festival of Lights Parade.

A man with a lot of history with Baldwin City’s annual Festival of Lights will get another view of the event this year.

Steve Friend, executive director of the Baldwin City Recreation Commission, will be the grand marshal of the Festival of Lights Parade on Saturday, Dec. 2. The annual event gets its name from the downtown parade with its entries of marchers, floats, vehicles and fire trucks illuminated with strings of Christmas lights.

Jeannette Blackmar, Baldwin City Chamber of Commerce director, said Friend was being honored in advance of his planned retirement next year from the BCRC. The Festival of Lights is a cooperative effort of the chamber, BCRC and the city of Baldwin City, Blackmar said.

For years, Tammy Michael, BCRC recreation specialist, organized the event with Friend assisting with such BCRC features as a fundraising prize drawing and the post-parade Santa Claus visit and refreshments offered in the Joe Spurgeon Park. Two years ago, Friend added the downtown fireworks show to the event.

It was one of the many ways Friend has helped make the festival an important part of the community’s holiday season, Blackmar said.

“It’s a Baldwin City tradition,” she said. “It gives families and the community the opportunity to come together to celebrate and enjoy togetherness while supporting local businesses.”

As in past years, the festival will offer a series of events throughout the day, which will give Baldwin City children a number of chances to meet Santa Claus. The day concludes with events associated with the 6 p.m. downtown parade.

• 9 a.m.: Breakfast with Santa at the Baldwin Elementary School Intermediate Center

• 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Vintage Park open house and bazaar, 321 Crimson Ave.

• 9:30 a.m.: Santa Claus Express at Midland Railway, 1515 High St.

• 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.: Holiday Art Affair, Lumberyard Arts Center, 718 High St.

• Noon: Holiday home tour

• 12:30 p.m.: Gingerbread House Party, Lumberyard Arts Center.

• 1 p.m.: Santa Claus Express at Midland Railway, 1515 High St.

• 3 p.m.: Gingerbread House Party, Lumberyard Arts Center.

• 4:30 to 6 p.m.: Holiday soup supper, Baldwin First United Methodist Church, Eighth and Grove streets

• 5 p.m.: Victorian carolers, Lumberyard Arts Center

• 6 p.m.: Festival of Lights Parade

• 6:30 p.m.: Tree lighting at Joe Spurgeon Park; fireworks display

• 6:45 p.m.: BCRC raffle; pictures with Santa at Joe Spurgeon Park.