The 2012 St. Charles Holiday Homecoming continues today and culminates in the Electric Christmas Parade, which steps off at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012.

Downtown visitors will be able to look at and buy Christmas trees along the east side of 1st Street, south of Route 64. Swans’ Christmas Trees will sell trees and garland throughout the holiday season in the downtown.

Today is Small Business Saturday nationally, and the Downtown St. Charles Partnership has been encouraging residents to shop locally this holiday season.

Saturday’s Holiday Homecoming activities continue with:

• A free showing of The Polar Express at 10:30 a.m. at the Arcada Theatre’s big screen.
• Horse-drawn sleigh rides from 1 to 4 p.m. beginning at the 1st Street Plaza.
• Visits with Santa from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1 to 4 p.m. in the First Street Plaza Santa House. The visits will Santa are planned during those same hours every Saturday and Sunday through Dec. 23.

All Holiday Homecoming events and activities are free of charge.

Christmas Parade Route Information

The Electric Christmas Parade steps off at 5:30 p.m. Saturday with Downtown St. Charles Partnership founders Jack Wagner, Jim Martin, Sharon Oie, and Dave Lencioni serving as grand marshals.

The parade will be held on Main Street (Route 64), beginning at 6^th Street and ending at 4^th Avenue, according to a release from the St. Charles Police Department. Traffic on both Main Street (Route 64) and 2^nd Street (Route 31) will be detoured beginning at 5:15 p.m.

A parking ban will be in effect on the detour route and on Main Street from 3 p.m. until about 7 p.m., according to police. There also will be a parking ban in effect for the parade staging area consisting of:

• Walnut Street between 3^rd and 7^th streets;
• 4th Street between Illinois and Main streets;
• 5^th Street between Walnut and Illinois streets;
• and 6^th Street from Cedar to Illinois streets.

The St. Charles Police Department urges the public to exercise extra caution when driving or attending the parade, since it will be held after dark. Motorists are strongly encouraged to use alternative routes, because traffic delays could be lengthy, the release states. There will be additional St. Charles Police and Emergency Management personnel assigned to the parade to help ensure public safety.

For more information regarding the parade, visit: http://downtownstcharles.org/events/holiday- homecoming/.