The City of Gatlinburg and Land O’ Lakes Half & Half invite you to bundle up and generate a spirited dose of holiday cheer and soak up the Gatlinburg Christmas lights with the 35th annual Fantasy of Lights Christmas Parade at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, December 3 in Downtown, with more than 100 parade entries including marching bands and giant helium balloons taking to the streets.

Santa’s Autograph Party cranks up at 6 p.m. at Riverbend Mall, in the midst of a main viewing area for the Parade at Traffic Light #3 in front of the Gatlinburg Welcome Center. The parade begins at Traffic Light #1A on Hwy 321 and ends about an hour-and-a-half later at Traffic Light #10.

Pre-parade performances by Sweet Fanny Adams Theatre, Ginger Brown’s Academy of Performing Arts, Elizabeth Williams Dance Academy, and the Winter Tunes & Tales Carolers are also planned.

Jamming sidewalks and balconies along the parade route, a crowd in excess of 80,000 people is expected to soak up the illuminating festivities for Gatlinburg Winter Magic, and the popular Gatlinburg Christmas lights program, which has received a $1.5 million injection of new displays plus a 100-percent conversion to energy-efficient LED bulbs over the past three years.

To learn more about these and other events in Gatlinburg, call 800-56-VISIT (568-4748) or visit the Gatlinburg website at www.gatlinburg.com