Attendance and participation were up at this year’s Magic of Christmas parade in Langley City, organizers said, though exact estimates were not immediately available.
“A bit more than last year,” is how Coun. Rosemary Wallace, vice-chair of the Magic of Christmas parade committee put it, as she prepared to take part in the Saturday night (Dec. 7th) event.
Wallace attributed some of that increase to a higher number of people opting to take part as teams, to walk the parade route.
“It’s a bit more fun as a team,” Wallace told the Langley Advance Times.
Coun. Teri James, who is a member of the parade committee, said the number of participating groups rose to 53 from 48 this year thanks to some last-minute entries, and it meant a lot more people taking part.
“It almost seemed there were more people in the parade than there were to watch,” James commented.
One of the new participants was Langley City resident Amber McBurnie, who explained that she bears no relation to the family that McBurney plaza was named after.
“It’s spelled differently,” she observed.
Last year, McBurnie brought her then one-year-old son down Korey down and they watched the parade together for the first time.
This year, she was walking in the parade, with the Langley Community Services team.
“I brought a bag of bulbs, “McBurnie declared, as she arranged the lit Christmas lights around her neck and Korey’s stroller.
READ MORE: More than 5,000 people expected at Langley’s Magic of Christmas
READ ALSO: A rain-free Magic of Christmas parade packs Langley City streets
This year’s parade was another dry year for the sometimes rain-drenched event that has been going on for more than 20 years in Langley City.
Magic of Chrtistmas was actually a series of events running the whole day, beginning with a Santa breakfast and continuing with pre-parade festivities along the Fraser Highway route that included crafts for kids, face painting and live music.
The parade wrapped up at McBurney plaza with the official Christmas lighting by Santa, with mayor Val van den Broek as MC.
Members of City council were present, among them James, Paul Albrecht, Nathan Pachal, Gayle Martin and Rudy Storteboom as well as Township councillors Petrina Arnison and Steve Ferguson.
More photos from the evening can be viewed online.
dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com
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