The City of Sparks invites the community to kick off the holidays this weekend, Dec. 1 and 2, 2023.
The annual tree lighting ceremony will be held Friday, Dec. 1 from 6:30– 7 p.m. next to the large gazebo on the corner of Victorian Avenue and Victorian Plaza Circle. The ceremony includes music from Gruve Nation. Mayor Ed Lawson will flip the switch to light the city’s permanent living Christmas tree, a 60-foot blue spruce.
On Saturday, December 2 at 1 p.m., the City will celebrate 36 years of tradition with its Hometowne Christmas Parade. This year’s theme is Dashing Through the Decades with marching bands, costumes, animals, floats, and more. The parade travels east to west on Victorian Avenue from Pyramid Way to Victorian Plaza Circle. Santa’s Float is sponsored by Rail City Casino and was created by a local Boy Scouts troop.
The City of Sparks will celebrate 36 years of tradition with its Hometowne Christmas Parade on Saturday.
In addition to the city-sponsored events, 39 North is hosting its annual 39 North Pole at Victorian Plaza, in front of the Galaxy Theatre on Victorian Avenue. The event brings together food trucks, entertainment, holiday light displays, and a craft fair, held in a heated vendor tent.
The 2023 Parade Grand Marshal is Shawna Downs, owner of Tholl Fence. Tholl fence is the largest fence company in Northern Nevada and has proudly served the community for over a century. With a legacy spanning 110 years, Tholl Fence has deep roots in the region.
“This year’s parade theme is Dashing Through the Decades, and we can’t think of anyone better to represent commitment to our community than Mrs. Downs,” said Sparks Mayor Ed Lawson. The long-time Sparks business owner will be driven in a car provided by Hot August Nights.
The Mayor’s Own Marching Band will march in the parade and showcase the musical talents of Sparks middle and high school students as one large marching band. The band is comprised of more than 200 students from Sparks Middle School, Sparks High School, and Spanish Springs High School.
To help audience members requiring assistance, a wheelchair seating area is provided along the parade route in front of the Nugget Event Center, between 10th and 11th Streets.
Santa is available to his fans for photos at the 39 North Pole event venue before and after the parade from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2:30–5:30 p.m. Santa will visit with children and pose for commemorative photos for a donation to the Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows. Boys & Girls Club members will serve as Santa’s helpers.
Radio partners, Cumulus Communications, Lotus Radio, KWNK, and Reno Media Group will announce parade participants from review stands along the route. The Entravision booth, located at the gazebo close to 11th Street, will provide Spanish translation.
This event could not happen without volunteers that include Hot August Nights, in charge of the parade layout and staging; the Boys and Girls Club, coordinating photos with Santa; and Living Stones Church helping the parade announcers, assisting with set up and tear down, coordinating the parade offloading and providing hospitality at the parade and the tree lighting ceremony.
Schedule of Events
THURSDAY, NOV. 30
- 39 North Pole, 4 to 9 p.m.: Light Displays, entertainment, and outdoor bazaar
FRIDAY, DEC. 1
- Tree Lighting Ceremony, 6:30 to 7 p.m. Complimentary hot chocolate from Living Stones Church Gruve Nation playing Christmas tunes
- 39 North Pole, 4 to 9 p.m.
SATURDAY, DEC. 2
Parade Day Activities: 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- Santa Photos at 39 North, presented by Boys and Girls Club of Truckee Meadows, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p. m. to 5:30 p.m.
- Sparks Hometowne Christmas Parade, 1 to 2:30 p.m.
- 39 North Pole, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
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