Downtown Great Falls is preparing to kick off the holiday season with a nostalgic twist, featuring celebrations that transport visitors back to the era of disco balls and bell-bottom pants.
Earlier this week, a donated Christmas tree was placed in front of the Civic Center, and will be decorated over the next several days ahead of the annual Parade of Lights on Saturday, November 29.
This year's tree was donated by Great Falls resident Carol Sullivan. The Downtown Great Falls agency thanked the following organizations for helping to take the tree down, transporting it to downtown, and getting it put up: Guy Tabacco Construction, AT Klemens, Maxim Crane Service, Bench Industries, Johnson Madison Lumber, NorthWestern Energy, Great Falls Police Department, Spectrum, and Great Falls Parks & Recreation.
"This year's theme is A Groovy Little Christmas, which is fun, like a disco, 70s kind of theme. We've got lots of awesome floats," said Harley Severns, Downtown Great Falls event coordinator.
The parade will feature dozens of floats and is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. on Central Avenue and head west toward the Civic Center, when Santa Claus will flip the switch to light the tree.
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Severns says crews will start closing the streets around 3:00 p.m. for the parade.
The parade serves as the perfect ending to Small Business Saturday, an annual event that encourages shoppers to explore local businesses throughout the day.
"Definitely come downtown and shop around for Small Business Saturday. Loads of people will have their doors open and maybe some sales or fun stuff going on. So, it's a great day to shop," Severns said.
The next part of the annual celebration happens on Friday, December 5, with the Christmas Stroll from 5 to 9 p.m., featuring numerous attractions including the traditional Polar Plunge at 7 p.m. at Fourth Street and Central Avenue.
Santa will be present along with 12 food vendors and counting.
Visitors can buy a $5 Christmas Stroll button at downtown businesses to enter for various prizes, including a downtown "staycation."
Brian Kaufman, owner of Kaufman's Menswear Centre and longtime downtown businessman, emphasizes the importance of these events for business exposure.
"A lot of people come down for those events and they they kind of snoop around and they say, oh, I'll be back the next day or the next week. So they are very important just for exposure for all the retail places and restaurants and shops," Kaufman said.
While parade entries have closed, organizers are still seeking volunteers for the events. Information is available on the Downtown Great Falls Facebook and Instagram pages or in person at the office at 318 Central Avenue.
The 2025 Christmas Stroll button was designed by Julia Weir of Julia Rose Artwork.
