Christmas parade will take a new route this year

The 61st annual Kiwanis Christmas Parade will roll through downtown on Saturday, Dec. 10, at 5:30 p.m., and will follow a new, extended route this year. The parade will run after the annual Battle of the Bands, which begins at 4 p.m. at A.Z. Young Park, 755 Third St. Joe Alleva, vice chancellor and director of athletics at LSU, will serve as grand marshal of the parade. Other riders include Mayor Kip Holden, Big Brother cast member Shelly Moore, Ryan Theriot of the St. Louis Cardinals, Ronald McDonald and the Louisiana Ghostbusters fan club. The parade will begin at North Third Street and Spanish Town Road, in front of the State Capitol. From there it will turn right on Fourth Street, left onto North Street, right on Sixth Street, right on Convention Street, right on Fourth Street, left on Main Street, and right on Lafayette Street, ending at the intersection with Third Street. More than 70 floats, bands, specialty vehicles and special guests are expected to participate. Video crews will film the parade, which will then be re-broadcast throughout the holiday season, including at noon on Christmas Day. The Baton Rouge Christmas Parade has run through the Capital City annually since 1950, with the Cortana Kiwanis Club managing it since 2009. The parade serves as a fundraiser for the group’s year-round children’s and civic projects. For more information, click here.