May the force be with you, and good weather too.
The city of McMinnville will usher in the holiday season with its traditional Christmas parade this Saturday at 2:30 p.m. with stormtroopers selected as the grand marshal.
More than 70 parade entries have been received, which is slightly more than recent parades.
“While the deadline has past, I do expect a few more late entries,” said McMinnville Parks and Recreation program coordinator Kendra Foust.
Encouraging participation this year could have been the advanced notice given by the city about the theme, which is “A Disney Christmas,” or the inclusion of “Star Wars” characters as grand marshals. The stormtroopers could be bringing some friends.
“So far, we have heard a couple stormtroopers plan to attend,” said Foust. “There may also be an Obi-Wan Kenobi and maybe an R2-D2.”
With rain in the forecast, everyone has their eyes to the sky, including Foust.
“I have been checking the weather,” said Foust. “As usual, all you can do is hope the weather’s good. I’ve received a lot of phone calls from people who are concerned about the rain. If we have to push the parade back a little, we will. As of right now, we haven’t made any changes.”
Foust said there are no plans to change the parade date, although the start time could be adjusted if it looks like the parade will be during a downpour. She said if it’s just drizzling, the parade will proceed.
The latest AccuWeather forecast calls for rain Saturday morning, tapering off in the afternoon. There could be a couple scattered showers in the afternoon, according to the forecast.
Any parade delays will be announced on the Southern Standard’s website, www.southernstandard.com, and on the newspaper’s Facebook page.
The parade will begin at McMinnville Civic Center and end at the water tower beside the Farmers Market. McMinnville Mayor Jimmy Haley, accompanied by grand marshals and Santa Claus, will then meet at The Lot to flip the switch and light the city’s Christmas tree.
For more information, contact Foust at 473-1212.