It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas with the annual Parade of Lights fast approaching.

This year's event, presented by the Hyack Festival Association and City of New Westminster, marks a quarter of a century for the parade.

"It's pretty exciting," said Rick Molstad, parade director and president of the Hyack Festival Association. "It's a great opportunity for the community to get together to start Christmas celebrations."

The parade is on Saturday Dec. 3 and features roughly 60 participants - from community groups, marching bands, cadets and businesses. The parade's only float carries Mr. and Mrs. Claus. There will be carolling and a Canada Post truck with "elves" on duty collecting letters to Santa all along the route. (Santa's mailing address is: North Pole, H0H 0H0, and Santa likes to write back, so make sure little ones include a return address.)

The parade starts at 4 p.m. and runs along Columbia Street, between Fourth and Eighth streets, culminating at Hyack Square for the Christmas-tree lighting ceremony at 5 p.m.

The lighting is an annual affair, but this year's tree is a bit special. Langley's Barclay Brook Gardens donated a 21-foot noble fir, an improvement over last year's artificial tree, Molstad noted.

Also new this year, CIBC is the title sponsor, so the parade's official name is CIBC Christmas Parade of Lights.

Organizers chose former Vancouver parks commissioner Allan DeGenova to be the honorary parade marshal. DeGenova was selected because of his work establishing New Westminster's Honour House, a place to stay for the families of firefighters, police and military personnel while their loved ones are getting medical treatment.

As honorary marshal, DeGenova gets paraded down Columbia Street in a convertible.

For Molstad, the parade is an opportunity to unite with others in holiday spirit.

"I think it's quite important that everybody gets out and celebrates Christmas," he said. "People really enjoy the parade. There's an opportunity for people to come out and be with family and friends."

The food bank will also be there, and people are encouraged to bring donations.

jmoreau@royalcityrecord.com