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EAST PEORIA — As Christmas approaches, there are several events in Tazewell County to boost your spirits. These events are holiday traditions for many families.
This year marks the 35th East Peoria Festival of Lights. The parade is at 5:45 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16, in East Peoria. The parade route will start at the intersection of East Washington Street and Dolans Lane. It will continue along Washington Street, turning left at the intersection with Camp Street. The floats will then turn right from Washington onto Taylor Street and continue along Taylor Street in front of Central Junior High School, ending at Taylor Street and Springfield Road at the U.S. Post Office.
The Budweiser Clydesdales are returning this year, weather permitting.
“This is the first time in 15 years they’ve been here,” said City of East Peoria Public Relations Coordinator Jill Peterson. “People will be excited to see them.”
These impressive animals were in the parade in 2000, 2002 and 2004. In 2000, an exact replica of the Clydesdales were made of lights and have been part of the Winter Wonderland drive-through at 123 Par 3 Lane in VFW Post 2078 Park off Springfield Road ever since.
Their journey to Central Illinois is comfortable. They travel in three 50-foot tractor trailers equipped with cameras so their handlers can monitor them. The trailers have rubber flooring to make the ride more comfortable. There is a dalmatian who accompanies them.
If one cannot make it to the parade, the floats can be seen inside FOLEPI’s (Festival of Lights East Peoria) Winter Wonderland starting Saturday, Nov. 23. The experience will be open Sunday through Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m., including Christmas Eve, Christmas night and New Year’s Eve. It will be open on Fridays and Saturdays from 5 to 11 p.m.
Admission fee depends on vehicle size. There is a $10 charge per car, truck or van; $30 for a small bus (mini, party, shuttle, school, RV and limousine); and $150 for a full-size charter motor coach.
Peterson said the weekends are the busiest times to visit and visitors should “assume there will be a line.” Local people are encouraged to visit during the week, especially Monday, which has been the slowest day for visitors. To increase traffic those days, they offer “Chick-fil-A Mondays.”
“Every vehicle through the drive-through display on Mondays from Nov. 25 through Dec. 30 will receive a free dessert at Chick-fil-A East Peoria,” said Peterson. “Two free dessert offers per vehicle will be available while supplies last.”
Chick-fil-A is at 250 E. Washington St. in East Peoria.
While there are no new floats this year, like the Santa Claus float added in 2018, the FOLEPI committee spent the year rewiring the park to have the lights turn off once they are closed for the evening. Peterson said they enhanced some floats, including the Cyldesdale float, by adding a dalmatian.
For up-to-date information about events, including the parade or Winter Wonderland, people may register to receive text alerts. To sign up, visit cityofeastpeoria.com and scroll down to see a triangle on the left side and click on it. It is the “codeRED” notification. People may choose which notifications to receive. Peterson said they send out alerts when the streets are closing for the Festival of Lights Parade, along with reminders about events.
Information is also available on social media including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and at folepi.org.
“I really enjoy the Festival of Lights,” Peterson said. “The kids are so happy and excited. I like hearing the ‘ooos’ and ‘ahhhs’ as people drive through.”
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