Shining bright: Twinkle Light Parade illuminates Nob Hill with holiday magic

Glimmering lights will fill the streets of Albuquerque as illuminated cars and parade floats drive down Route 66 during the Twinkle Light Parade.

The parade, which takes place in Nob Hill, is an annual event put on by the city of Albuquerque. This year, the dazzling event will begin at 5:15 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14, and roll west on Central Avenue from Washington Street to Girard Boulevard. The parade lasts one mile, and viewing areas will extend slightly further.

Shining bright: Twinkle Light Parade illuminates Nob Hill with holiday magic

“The great thing about the event is that we close the streets at 3 p.m. to give people plenty of time to go down and shop and eat on a pedestrian-friendly street before they find their perfect spot to watch the parade,” said Bree Ortiz, community events division manager for the city.

The Twinkle Light Parade will feature new floats this year, with roughly half being new additions to the parade. More than 100 different groups, including marching bands, car clubs and schools, will head down Route 66 in Nob Hill to show off their creativity and holiday spirit. More than 200 vehicles including fire trucks and school buses, as well as 3,500 people will participate in the event. Thirty-one horses will also make an appearance in the parade with manes and tails decked with holiday lights.

“We (the city of Albuquerque) put on a lot of events but this is our favorite as a team,” Ortiz said. “It is (an event) where the whole community comes together, and everyone’s in the holiday spirit, everyone’s happy. It’s just such a great, magical feeling for the evening, and it’s lovely and fun to watch. Of course, with all the different creativity that people put into their floats, it’s just a really great show for the community and something for people to come together for free and watch for the holiday season.”

During the event, guests can enjoy a cup of hot chocolate from local sponsor Empire Board Game Library. Nob Hill restaurants, bars and shops will be open during the parade.

The parade may seem effortless to onlookers, however preparation begins in August when applications open for floats. From there, participants take a mandatory safety course while organizers plan the order of floats.

“It’s kind of a game of Tetris,” Ortiz said. “We spread it all out and make sure everybody is unique within their spot in the parade, and then we send that out to them and tell them we have to teach them how to stage.”

Free parking will be available at the parking lot located on the southwest corner of Lomas and University boulevards NE. Park and ride services will run from 3 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., taking eventgoers from the lot to University of New Mexico’s Johnson Field near Girard Boulevard and Central Avenue NE.