Downtown Santa Maria will see road closures and traffic detours Saturday afternoon and night, Dec. 7 due to the annual Christmas Parade of Lights.
The parade is scheduled to start at 5:20 p.m. at the corner of Stowell Road and Broadway, rain or shine, according to organizers.
From 2-10 p.m., Broadway (State Route 135) will be closed to traffic from Enos Drive north to Main Street (State Route 166).
Stowell Road from Broadway to Depot Street will be closed starting at 3 p.m. to allow parade entrants to queue up and make final preparations.
In case of emergency, Santa Maria Police officers will be posted at Cook and Jones streets to allow crossing of Broadway.
The Parade of Lights is presented by the Rotary Clubs of Santa Maria and Nipomo. A map of the parade route and sponsors is at https://smparadeoflights.org.
The Community Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony starts at 4:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6, at the Santa Maria City Hall courtyard, corner of Cook Street and Broadway.
Attendees can take a photo with Santa, sing Christmas carols with the Youth Voices, enjoy cocoa and cookies, and kids can make crafts.
Parking is available at the Civic Center parking structure near library along South McClelland Street, or at the Santa Maria Town Center East parking structure.