Auburn plans lighted Santa Parade on Dec. 6 with programmable street lights, single-Santa tradition preserved

The City of Auburn will hold its annual lighted Santa Parade on Saturday, Dec. 6, beginning at 4:30 p.m., with pre-parade entertainment on the City Hall plaza at 4 p.m., city events staff said during the Auburn on Main podcast.

Mackenzie Moen, the city's newly announced special events coordinator, said she and Amanda Valdez will co-manage this year's parade. Moen described the event as 'joyous for the community' and said organizers are using new programmable string lights along the route to enhance the display.

Organizers gave several logistics notes for participants and attendees. Amanda Valdez said the city is enforcing a 14-foot maximum height for parade entries: 'It's 14 feet. Can't have anything above 14 feet.' Moen asked groups to ensure floats and vehicles are decorated and illuminated; staff said lighting is a requirement.

To preserve the event's tradition and the 'magic' for children, officials asked entrants not to include a Santa character in their own entries. 'You are not allowed to have a Santa in your entry, please and thank you, because we wanna keep the magic,' an organizer said.

The parade route will finish at City Hall Plaza, where a tree-lighting ceremony and a live band are scheduled and foam 'snow' and warm beverages will be available. Staff encouraged attendees to dress warmly and noted many local businesses see increased patronage after the parade.

Moen and Valdez asked residents to check the city's events calendar for last-minute updates and safety guidance; organizers also said they are coordinating with parks maintenance on installation and programming of the new lights.

The event is free to attend.