The Parade of Lights will begin its dazzling march down Cortez’s Main Street tonight, featuring the theme “Blessings of a Community” in honor of this year’s host, the Elks Lodge.
Despite the cold, spectators are ready for the lights to warm their hearts.
Seventy-two floats are entered this year, competing in nonprofit, commercial and other categories, judged on music, lights, creativity, theme and workmanship.
Four Corners Board of Realtors, as in past years, is organizing the parade, now in its 36th year.
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 will display QR codes for voting.
Judges for this year are:
- Jackie Cook (Vectra Bank)
- Nicci Crowley (LOR Foundation)
- Oma Fleming (Dolores County 4-H)
- Jim Muller (Kiwanis)
- Vicki Shaffer (Montezuma County Search and Rescue)
