Want Your Float in the Dec. 5 Parade? The Info Meeting Is Tuesday, Oct. 27

If your church group, school club, business, or neighborhood association has ever talked about putting a float in the Christmas Parade, Tuesday, Oct. 27 is the night to show up and get real answers.

Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. is when Parks and Recreation staff are opening the doors at the Community Activity Center, 1200 Gerault Rd., to answer every question would-be parade participants have. Staff will walk through all the requirements, benefits, and what participating actually looks like. Low pressure. No commitment required.

Gerault Park is where things kick off at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5 for the Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting. The parade steps off at 6 p.m. at Spinks Road and Garden Ridge and ends at Gerault Park, near the Community Activity Center. Afterward: live performances, kids' activities, food trucks, and a fireworks show.

A few things the application already spells out. There is no entry fee, but the town asks each participant to bring at least one canned food item for the Christian Community Action Canned Food Drive. Every entry must carry a minimum of 100 lights. The theme this year is A Star-Spangled Christmas: Celebrating 250 Years of Freedom and Festivity — so if your crew has a patriotic streak and a trailer, the timing is right. Non-cash awards go to the top entry and runner-up in each category.

Entry categories include Youth Float, Business Float, Non-Profit Float, Marching Group, Motorized Vehicles, and Miscellaneous — which can include livestock, bicycles, and other non-motorized entries. Big rig and 18-wheeler trucks are not allowed.

The deadline to get your parade participant application in is 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 20 — nothing submitted after that cutoff will be accepted. Applications are live now at flowermound.gov. If you'd rather have someone walk you through it first, Tuesday's meeting at the CAC is the place. Parking is in the lot off Gerault.

Want to be involved without building a float? A volunteer recruitment meeting is set for Tuesday, Nov. 17, for anyone interested in helping with the Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting Ceremony through the Roots Volunteer Corps. That meeting begins at 6 p.m. at the CAC, 1200 Gerault Rd.

For questions in the meantime, Parks and Recreation can be reached at specialevents@flowermound.gov or 972.874.6292.