In many communities, the start of the Christmas season begins with a Santa Claus parade that winds its way through the streets of town. This is a popular event for families with children, who will secure spots on the sidewalk and look forward to watching the colorful and merry floats as they pass. If you plan to attend this parade, one of the ways that you can prepare for it is to watch your local news broadcast in the days leading up to the event. In addition to telling you the basics about the event, the broadcast will cover all sorts of other relevant details for you to keep in mind, including the following.
Road Closures
You can expect that the local news broadcast will list any roads in your community that will be closed in advance of the Santa Claus parade. Often, the setup of the parade results in a few roads being closed a short time before the parade is scheduled to begin. It's handy to hear about these closures so that you know to avoid them when you're out and about in the hours before the parade. The broadcast may also list the location that the parade organizers are using as a staging area for the floats, as most motorists will want to avoid driving in this area because of delays.
Donations
Many Santa Claus parades include a charitable component to help those who are less fortunate. Your news broadcast will make mention of this information so that you can prepare accordingly. For example, if there will be a float that is accepting non-perishable food items for a local food bank, you'll learn this on the broadcast. You may even learn what specific food items are in high demand in your local area so that you can buy what will help people in need the most. If there's a float and some volunteers who are accepting cash donations, you'll learn this information so that you can make sure to have a few dollars ready to give.
Weather
Weather forecasts are a fixture on local news broadcasts, and you can expect a special weather report in advance of your community's Santa Claus parade. You'll learn what weather to expect during the parade, and this information will help you to know how you should dress your kids so that they're comfortable. The last thing that you'd want is for the weather to be colder than expected, resulting in your children being chilly and not enjoying the parade as much as they could.