UK Students Working With Downtown Lexington Partnership to Produce Annual Christmas Parade

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 24, 2021) — Senior integrated strategic communication students in a University of Kentucky College of Communication and Information Event Planning class are working with the Downtown Lexington Partnership (DLP) to produce this year’s annual downtown Christmas Parade. 

The event will begin 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 4, and is gearing up to be a staple of the holiday season in Lexington. UK students and DLP are excited to bring normal parade operations back to the city after a nontraditional reversed parade last year.

“We are incredibly excited to collaborate with these creative and hardworking students to bring Lexington a wonderful parade in 2021," said Laura Farnsworth, DLP vice president of development and events. "As a result of their efforts, we will be welcoming several new high-energy entries to the parade, as well as promotions and events in our downtown businesses that will bring new customers to their front doors.”

Students are working in a variety of teams including participant recruitment, event promotion, merchant events and logistics. One new aspect the students are focusing on incorporating is the participation from downtown businesses to host special events before, during and after the parade. 

Attendees can expect a busy day of activities and events along with the parade. And, the parade itself is sure to be packed full of local bands, floats and even everyone’s favorite jolly fellow at the end. Stay tuned for more details as we get closer to the parade! 

For more information about the partnership and event, contact Harrison Stiles at 502- 287-7068 or Harrison@downtownlex.com, or follow DLP on social media @downtownlexpartnership.

As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   

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