Christmas Parade
The annual City of Paducah Christmas Parade is this Saturday, December 7 at 5 p.m. in historic downtown Paducah. The theme is Christmas in Toyland with music and lights on each of the parade's approximately 100 entries. Santa Claus will make a special appearance at the end of the parade riding in a Paducah fire truck.
The parade begins at 14th and Broadway and travels down Broadway to 2nd Street where it will turn left and disband at Jefferson Street. Road closures along the parade route will begin at 3 p.m. on Saturday.
This year, the City of Paducah is honoring Steve Ybarzabal as the parade's Grand Marshal. Ybarzabal has devoted his career to education and currently serves as principal of the Paducah Innovation Hub. He will be riding in a carriage at the beginning of the parade.
Ybarzabal is a native of New Orleans and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology and a teaching certificate in biology from Louisiana State University. After graduation and relocating to Mobile, Alabama, Ybarzabal gained valuable experience teaching science classes and coaching volleyball. He brought that experience to Paducah in 1999 where he taught for a year at St. Mary High School before joining the faculty at Paducah Tilghman High School. In his 25 years in Paducah, Ybarzabal has taught various science and psychology courses, started the volleyball program at Paducah Tilghman, served in leadership roles, earned a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership and Administration from Murray State University, and served as assistant principal and then principal of Clark Elementary. He also is a Kentucky Colonel.
Parade entries will marshal on Broadway between 14th and Fountain Avenue, on Fountain Avenue between Kentucky and Monroe, and on Jefferson between 13th and Fountain Avenue. Streets will be closed in the staging area by 3 p.m. on Saturday. The Parks & Recreation Department asks the public to refrain from parking in the parade preparation area and along the parade route to help limit the congestion of vehicles and floats.
Candy Cane Hunt
The Parks & Recreation Department’s award-winning Candy Cane Hunt sponsored by Banterra Bank and in partnership with Yeiser Art Center will be Saturday, December 7, on the National Quilt Museum’s lawn located at 215 Jefferson Street. This is a free event where children ages 10 and under race to find candy canes
The children will be divided into three age groups and will race at different times to collect more than 5000 candy canes. Registration for the event begins on site at noon with gift bags provided while supplies last. The hunts will be at 12:30 p.m. for children 3 and under; 12:45 p.m. for children 4 through 6 years of age, and 1 p.m. for children 7 through 10 years of age.
Kids can also participate in the Yeiser Art Center Coloring Contest anytime from noon until 1:15 p.m. The coloring sheets can be turned in at the event or at Yeiser Art Center by 5 p.m. Yeiser will announce the winners the week after the event with prizes for the winning entries.
For the safety of the participants, 2nd Street will be closed to vehicular traffic between Jefferson Street and Monroe Street. Please park at the Farmers’ Market parking lot using the entrance at the intersection of 2nd and Monroe.
In 2019, the Kentucky Recreation & Park Society named the Candy Cane Hunt as the Class IV Program of the Year.
