Joliet lights up with festival and parade Friday

The Joliet Light Up the Holidays festival and parade runs all day Friday.

The downtown event sponsored by the University of St. Francis features a North Pole Market for craft buyers, a North Pole Park for family fun, horse-drawn carriages, the annual lighting of the city Christmas tree and a parade.

The center of activities has been switched to Ottawa Street this year due to ongoing construction on Chicago Street, where a new city square and a redesigned street are under construction.

The parade will be along Ottawa Street, and the Christmas tree lighting will be outside the Joliet Public Library at 150 N. Ottawa St.

Activities start at 10 a.m. and continue until the parade at 5:30 p.m.

Here is a list of activities:

• The North Pole Christmas Market is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Renaissance Center, 214 N. Ottawa St. It includes free kids crafts and a children’s book reading at 10:30 a.m.

• Santa will be in town from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Joliet Area Historical Museum, 204 Ottawa St.

• The Joliet Grade School District 86 choir will perform at 10:30 a.m. in the Burnham Room at the Joliet Public Library, 150 N. Ottawa St.

• The Black Willow Brass Quintet performs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the North Pole Christmas Market.

• The Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus Youth Choir performs at 11:15 a.m. at the Joliet Area Historical Museum.

• North Pole Park opens at 1 p.m. at the intersection of Cass and Joliet streets, providing an iceless skating rink, slide, Ferris wheel, ice sculpture demonstrations and food trucks until 5 p.m.

• Horse-drawn carriage rides start at 1: 30 p.m. and run until 4:30 p.m. from North Pole Park.

• The American Legion Band American Legion performs at 2 p.m. at the Joliet Area Historical Museum.

• A “Sing-along with Jon Codron” will be from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Joliet Public Library.

• The tree-lighting ceremony is at 5:15 p.m. outside the Joliet Public Library.

• The parade starts at 5:30 p.m., with the viewing area running along Ottawa Street from Benton to Jefferson streets and along Jefferson Street from Ottawa to Scott streets.