It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas around Laconia

LACONIA — Volunteers are well on their way toward making the City on the Lakes a little more festive this holiday season.

Celebrate Laconia, a nonprofit booster organization, is planning a Light-Up Laconia festival, parade and decorating competition on Sunday.

And to make things a little more spiffy in advance of the big day, members of the organization fanned out over the weekend to put garland and colored lights on light posts.

City Parks and Recreation Department workers are adorning Stewart Park and Rotary Park downtown. Leavitt Park in the Lakeport area is also getting some holiday attention. Also, The Weirs Beach sign is getting some new red and green lights to mark the season.

The main city Christmas tree will be in Veterans Square – just outside the old railroad station – but there will also be adorned trees in several city parks. New this year will be a tree at Pleasant Street and Main Street.

Beth San Soucie, president of Celebrate Laconia, said even the weather is cooperating. Snow on the ground makes everything seem more Christmas-like.

“It will look so beautiful,” she said. “I’m so excited.”

The City Council has agreed to spend $3,500 in city money for decorations downtown and on Lakeside Avenue in The Weirs.

Councilor David Bownes said Christmas lights and decorations were so minimal last year that it looked like the Grinch had paid a visit to Laconia.

Sunday’s parade will start at Wyatt Park at 3:30 p.m. and end at Veterans Square, where tree-lighting will take place at 5 p.m.

Santa will hold a meet-and-greet at the Belknap Mill from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. A holiday bash with family activities, seasonal vendors and sled dogs will take place on Canal Street from 2-6 p.m.

Also, Celebrate Laconia is staging a decorating competition for homes and businesses. The residential winner will receive a $250 prize, and the runner-up will receive $100. The winning business will receive a holiday plaque and complimentary advertisement in a local news outlet.

People may register for the competition before Sunday at celebratelaconia.org. Judges will go to participating locations between Nov. 25 and Dec. 14.

Participants in each category will also have the opportunity to win the Community Choice Award. Voting starts at 6 p.m. on Nov. 25 on Celebrate Laconia’s Facebook page and on its website, celebratelaconia.org.