GLOUCESTER — Gloucester County’s Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department is excited for a full return of its Christmas and Holiday Parade on Saturday. The annual tradition, which is a local hallmark of holiday activities, will step off from Main Street Center at 3 p.m. and end at Botetourt Elementary School.
Main Street will be closed to vehicular traffic just prior to the beginning of the parade. A partial closure of Main Street will continue following the parade until 6 p.m. to facilitate the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony in front of the Gloucester Museum of History. A detour will be in place allowing traffic to use Martin Street and Cary Avenue to bypass the closure.
The Tree Lighting Ceremony, beginning at 5 p.m., will feature the Page Middle School Select Ensemble under the direction of Karen Scalf.
This year, longtime local music teacher James “Jim” Camillucci will serve as grand marshal of the parade. Camillucci served in several Gloucester County Public School music departments, most recently retiring as music teacher at Botetourt Elementary School at the end of the last school year. “We are so thrilled to have the parade back this year after last year’s shoebox version,” said Katey Legg, Director of Gloucester’s Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department. “We are even more thrilled to have Mr. Camillucci agree to serve as our grand marshal, as he has had a tremendous impact on so many children’s lives over the past several decades.”