Light Up Night festivities planned

Downtown New Castle will be ablaze with Light Up Night activities Thursday.

The 14th annual parade and festival will begin at 5 p.m. in Riverwalk Park with Christmas music by American Mobile Sound. Food vendors will also set up in the park. The Castle Country Cloggers will perform at 6:20 p.m. in front of Butz Flowers.

The parade, which will start at 7 p.m., will follow an extended route this year. Starting at the intersection of Washington Street and the Columbus Innerbelt, it will continue on Washington Street to East Street, then turn left onto North Street and return to the innerbelt.

Parade units will line up on the innerbelt at 6 p.m.

Fireworks by Zambelli Internationale will follow the parade.

The festivities are arranged by the Downtown Business Association and sponsored by Nick’s Auto Body, New Castle Truck, and Superior Sign and Graphics.

Other supporters are the New Castle News, First Commonwealth Bank, First National Bank of Pennsylvania, FirstMerit Bank, National City Bank, Sky Bank, Penn Power, the American Legion, O.T. Beight and Sons Inc., the Lawrence County Association of Retarded Citizens, Lawrence County Social Services, and Mansell and Andrews.

Units scheduled to participate in the parade are as follows:

The New Castle Area Honor Guard, New Castle Mayor Wayne Alexander, New Castle City Council, Taylor Township Volunteer Fire Department, Neshannock Elementary Cheerleaders, New Castle Rotary Club, “Sparky” with the Neshannock Township Volunteer Fire Department, Ludovici Dance Academy, St. Vitus, Michaelangelo’s, New Castle ABATE, New Castle Builders Order of DeMolay, New Castle Assembly No. 1 Rainbow Girls

Washington Union Alliance Church, Serenity Dental Care, Bobbie’s Salon, Ronald McDonald, Comcast, Mohawk Midget and Pee Wee Cheerleaders, Mohawk High School Band, Mohawk Mini Majorettes, Mohawk Junior Dance Line, Bessemer Volunteer Fire Department, New Castle Thunder Football Team, Overlook Medical Clinic, state Rep. Chris Sainato, Sankey Stompers, Dr. Spokane

St. Elias, Castle Builders, Scott Township Volunteer Fire Department, Civil Air Patrol, Parkstown Lounge and Bowling Alley, TenderCare Learning Center, Timbrelist from House of Prayer, American Red Cross, C and Z Gymnastics, Union High School Band, Union Mini Majorettes, Union Pee Wee and Midget Cheerleaders, Union Elementary Student Council, American CoEd Pageant, Boy Scout Troop 757

Castle Country Cloggers, Jameson Health System, Union Township Volunteer Fire Department, Steve Stasko, God’s Little Angel’s Day Care, New Castle Outlaws Cheering Squad, Noga Ambulance, Union Brownie Troop 301, Hickory Township Volunteer Fire Department, Paw Printz, Red’s Towing, Froggy 95, Lawrence County Thunderbirds, Shenango High School Band, New Castle Regional Ballet

Shenango Cub Scout Pack 746, Shenango Girl Scout Troop 352, Shenango Girl Scout Troop 342, Shenango Township Volunteer Fire Department, Rapid Tappets, Dance Implosion, Kalajainen’s Sports City, New Castle News, TC Redi Mix, South New Castle Volunteer Fire Department, Duchess of Plume, Raucous Rare Rubies, Prevailing Word, New Castle Beauty School, Medevac

Laurel High School Band, Laurel Midget Drill Team, Laurel Varsity Cheerleaders, Laurel Pee Wee Cheerleaders, Laurel Midget Cheerleaders, Lawrence County Dairy Princess, K-9 SOS, Slippery Rock Volunteer Fire Department (Station 1400), State Line Rolloffs, Cruisin’ Dukes, George’s Tumbling and Cheering, Pennsylvania Army National Guard, Mahoning Township Volunteer Fire Department.

New Castle Christian Academy, New Castle Christian Academy Preschool, Party Stop, Jacob’s Towing and Service, New Castle Cub Scout Troop 718, Lawrence County Junior Miss, New Castle High School Band, New Castle Fire Department and Santa Claus