TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Highlands Today

Local Christmas parades will not be on TV

File photo by Kathy Waters/Highlands Today

The Avon Park High School Art Club decorated last year's float with snowflakes for the winter wonderland theme of the Avon Park annual Christmas parade. Avon Park's Christimas parade this year will be held at 7 p.m. Dec. 1. Sebring has scheduled its parade Dec. 5. The date for the Lake Placid parade is Dec. 13.

ADVERTISEMENT

By AIYANA BAIDA

Highlands Today

Published: November 17, 2009

SEBRING - For good seats to this year's Christmas parades don't sit by your TV - grab a lawn chair.

This will be the first year in many that Christmas parades in Avon Park, Sebring and Lake Placid will not be televised by Comcast. Officials are encouraging locals to take a lawn chair and attend them in person.

"We are thankful that they televised it for so many years. But due to equipment changes they are longer able to provide the service," Dave Greenslade, Avon Park Chamber of Commerce executive director, said.

Due to changes in equipment Comcast no longer has the resources to broadcast the parades, according to Elaine Lunkes, director of community and commercial development for Comcast of West and Central Florida. Lunkes notified the Avon Park, Sebring and Lake Placid chambers of commerce about its decision in October.

Southern Polk and Hardee County's Christmas parades are also not being televised.

Comcast has worked closely with the chambers to produce a festive commercial for the parades, which will kick off with Avon Park's parade on Nov. 30 at 7 p.m., followed by Sebring's parade on Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. and the Lake Placid parade on Dec. 12 at 7 p.m.

"We want to encourage those folks to come out and watch it in person," Greenslade said.

Highlands Today reporter Aiyana Baida can be reached at (863) 386- 5855 or nbaida@highlandstoday.com

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT