Night Lights Christmas Parade & Festivities

Friday, December 3, 2021 

The Annual Night Lights Christmas Parade is a spectacular night time parade packed full of lots of lights and music! It starts at the Grand Ledge Fire Department at 500 North Clinton Street and then makes its way straight down Bridge Street.

Santa and Mrs. Claus will make their appearance at the end of the parade, trading in their red sleigh for a red fire truck.

• Tree Lighting in Bridge Street Plaza
  
• Six Feet Away Santa Selfies in the Plaza
  
• 7 PM Christmas Parade on Bridge Street
  
• Letters to Santa Mailbox in the Plaza
  
• Get Warm by the Firepit in the Plaza
  
• Hot Chocolate at Pam‘s Pantry
  
• Pick up your Gingerbread House making kit from the Grand Ledge Area District Library
  
• Pick up your Jingle Bells from the Grand Ledge Area District Library

Grand Marshals: Drs. Charmaine and Ray Lanjopoulos of Lanjopoulos Family Chiropractic Center in Grand Ledge arrived here in June 1989 from South Africa.

They had studied Chiropractic at Sherman College in South Carolina and graduated in 1980. They returned to South Africa to practice and then emigrated to the USA in 1989 along with their daughter, Damaris, who currently is practicing as a Pediatric Chiropractor in Norway.

Both Dr. Charmaine and Dr. Ray have been active in the Grand Ledge Community since the beginning. Dr. Ray is active in Grand Ledge Rotary and teaches Tai Chi and Dr. Charmaine teaches yoga and is a Powerlifter with multiple state records to her name. Dr. Charmaine has also been active with the Chamber of Commerce in the past.

Thanksgiving 1989 saw the start of their support for the Grand Ledge Food Bank and grew from a couple of bags of groceries to a pickup full to filling the Independence Village Bus with Groceries.

Over the past several years, the mode of collecting for the Food Bank had switched to collection donations as the Food Bank gets more bang for their buck with money. And in that time, the donations have grown from a few grocery bags and less than $100, to in excess of $15,000 the last two years.

Dr. Charmaine and Dr. Ray say that they like the idea of "supporting local" as it has a more direct impact on the community itself and they like the idea of giving back to a community that has welcomed them with open arms.