The Parade of Lights began it’s dazzling march down Cortez’s Main Street Saturday night, featuring the theme “Blessings of a Community” in honor of this year’s host, the Elks Lodge.
Despite the cold, spectators were ready for the lights to warm their hearts. The community showed up in a dense crowd of observers along Cortez’s main thoroughfare as a caravan of floats brimming with holiday delight inched along.
Seventy-two floats entered this year, competing in nonprofit, commercial and other categories, judged on music, lights, creativity, theme and workmanship. This year’s number of entries increased from last; 2024 had 65 floats.
Four Corners Board of Realtors, as in past years, organized the parade, now in its 36th year.
“This is one of the best events of the year as far as bringing people out from the whole community,” said Bruce Burkett, a pastor at Lighthouse Baptist Church in Cortez.
Two new categories have been added: band and a people’s choice award for floats. Spectators will vote for the latter, many of whom were already setting up chairs and bundling in blankets an hour before the march began.
Michelle Morris, a longtime organizer with the Four Corners Board of Realtors, said in past years, onlookers have said “I wish so and so had won.”
“This way people can put in their two cents worth,” she said.
“And feel like they’re a part of it instead of just having the judges choose,” said Breezy Obletz-Kingery, Four Corners Board of Realtors president and host of the event’s YouTube livestream.
Floats displayed QR codes for voting on the people’s choice slot.
Judges for this year were:
- Jackie Cook (Vectra Bank)
- Nicci Crowley (LOR Foundation)
- Oma Fleming (Dolores County 4-H)
- Jim Muller (Kiwanis)
- Vicki Shaffer (Montezuma County Search and Rescue)
“It was super fun,” said Patrick Allan Jackson, who rode a Christmas light-covered bike and dressed up as “DJ Santa,” wearing a gold chain and leopard print Santa hat.
“It’s a great time for us to come together and celebrate the community,” said Jacqlynn Miller, who works for Main Street Brewery and Restaurant and offered another hot chocolate stand. “If that includes handing out hot chocolate, then we’ll do that.”
