Havre de Grace’s annual Holly Jolly Parade and tree lighting are set for Friday, with more holiday-related celebrations through the month of December.

The parade will begin at 6 p.m., at the intersection of Union Avenue and St. John Street, continuing down St. John Street, it will turn onto Pennington Avenue, and then finish back on Union Avenue.

Forty-two local organizations are scheduled to participate in the parade, many with their own floats. A total of 360 volunteers are expected to be assisting with the parade or walking alongside the floats, according to Bridgette Johnson, director of economic development.

Johnson said that Clydesdale horses will once again be featured in the parade, “somewhere near Santa Claus.”

The parade will mark Santa’s first visit to Havre de Grace this holiday season. He is expected to help Mayor William Martin light the city’s tree onstage at the former visitor center, at 450 Pennington Ave. Santa will then retire to Santa Land, at the same address, where visitors can interact with him and take photos.

This will not be Santa Claus’s only visit to Havre de Grace this month, according to Ricci.

“The city has some connections with the big man up north, he is a close personal friend of mine, and he has agreed to spend a whole lot of time in Havre de Grace this holiday season,” Ricci said.

Visitors can see Santa Claus in Santa Land on the following dates:

  • Saturday, 2-4 p.m.
  • Sunday, 2-4 p.m.
  • Dec. 14, 5-7 p.m.
  • Dec. 15, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
  • Dec. 21, 5-7 p.m.

Ricci noted that Mrs. Claus will “make the trip from the North Pole for one night only,” coming to Havre de Grace for the parade on Friday.

Along with the parade, families are also welcome to visit the Holly Jolly Village at David Craig Park. The village will host a variety of activities for children and adults, including holiday music, crafts, face painting, balloon artists and interactive games. The village will be open 5 to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday and on Dec. 14 from 3 to 7 p.m.

Horse-drawn carriage rides will be held this year on Saturday and Dec. 14 from 5 to 7 p.m. on both days. There is no cost to ride this year, unlike years past. Registration will be on a first-come, first-served basis at David Craig Park. Registration begins at 3:30 p.m. and will remain open until all time slots are filled.

A complete calendar of Havre de Grace’s “Holly Jolly Days” can be found on explorehavredegrace.com.

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