Sebring Christmas parade set for Friday

For a second year in a row, the Heartland Young Professionals will present the annual Sebring Christmas parade, starting at 7 p.m. Friday in downtown Sebring, so bring your folding chairs and have fun.

"This year's theme is 'Cartoons of Christmas' Past,'" said Dusty Johnson, president of the young professionals group.

He's talking about Charlie Brown from the "Peanuts" comic strip, Frosty the Snowman, and those who can recall singer Burl Ives' song about the greatest reindeer of all, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

"All the (holiday) cartoon characters you've grown up with over the years," he said.

So far the young professionals received entrees for about 75 organizations, businesses or groups, including, several dance groups, the Highlands County Shrine Club, the Sebring Fire Rescue and Sebring Police Department as well as numerous public officials, with about 60 to 65 floats, he estimated.

The parade will be taking the same reverse route as it did last year, with participants lining up after 4 p.m., between Shontee Avenue and North Ridgewood Drive on the Sebring Parkway on a first-come basis.

Carousel of Lights

Starting at 7 p.m. the parade will head up North Ridgewood Drive, entering counter-clockwise onto Circle Drive for the start of the 20th annual Carousel of Lights.

"It's become kind of a tradition each year," said Jon Spiegel, who organizes the Carousel of Lights show.

Sebring's Circle Park transforms from a forest of bent PVC into a glittering, glimmering spectacle of lights and holiday cheer.

The Santa House will open the following night at 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Dec. 5 and will be open for business until Christmas Eve, and the puppet show will have musical performances from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. until Dec. 28, said Spiegel.

The parade will turn left onto South Commerce Avenue toward Firemen's Field, where the parade will end.