The City of Kentwood will celebrate the holidays on December 7th with its annual tree-lighting ceremony and holiday light parade.
The festivities will be centered around the Kentwood branch of the Kent District Library, on Breton Avenue. The parade will kick things off at 6 o'clock, followed by outdoor activities for all ages, including reindeer, take-home children’s crafts, caroling karaoke and a visit from Santa.
Dune Buggy food truck will be on-site with food and beverages for purchase. Complementary coffee and hot chocolate will also be available.
A student essay competition will determine the parade grand marshal, who will help Mayor Steve Kepley light the tree. Students ages 5 through 18 who are Kentwood residents or attend school in the Kentwood, Kelloggsville, Forest Hills or Caledonia school districts are eligible to participate.
Students can enter by submitting an essay that is one-thousand words or less and answers the question: “Why do you love living in Kentwood?” Entries are due by November 27th.
A winner will be chosen and notified by December 1st. Essays can be submitted online at kentwood.us/TreeLighting or in person at the Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE.
More from the City of Kentwood news release:
We are looking forward to ushering in the holiday season as a community with this special event,” Kentwood Mayor Stephen Kepley said. “These festivities mark the beginning of one of the most wonderful times of the year as our remarkable community gathers to bring good tidings of peace and joy to all.”
The parade will begin at 6 p.m. and travel from the City’s Public Works Facility at 5068 Breton Ave. SE to the Kentwood Justice Center, 4740 Walma Ave. SE. Sections of Breton and Walma avenues will be closed 5:50-6:25 p.m. for the parade.
The tree lighting ceremony and caroling will follow at 6:30 p.m. in front of the library. After the ceremony at approximately 6:45 p.m., community members will be able to take photos with Santa, visit with reindeer, enjoy caroling karaoke and more. The event is free and open to the public.
Attendees also will have the opportunity to donate non-perishable food items to Kentwood’s Free Little Pantry. A list of suggested items can be found at kentwood.us/LittleFreePantry.
Groups interested in participating in the parade should complete the online entry form. The cost to participate is $15.
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