2017 Holiday Parade, Street Festival in Huntington Village

About 5,000 to 10,000 people will flock to the Eighth Annual Holiday Parade and Street Festival in Huntington Village to enjoy entertainment and activities from Friday, Nov. 24 through Sunday, Nov. 26.

The weekend-long celebration will include the Huntington Lighthouse Boat Parade on Friday, Small Business Saturday and the region's largest parade on Sunday. The parade, which has been held on Saturday in previous years, will take place on Sunday this year.

Here's what you can expect during this weekend-long celebration in Huntington Village:

Friday, Nov. 24

• Huntington Lighthouse Boat Parade— line up along Huntington Harbor during the evening to see boats, homes and businesses illuminate the water. Last year's event was canceled due to ongoing construction at the Huntington Lighthouse.

Saturday, Nov. 25

• Small Business Saturday— the Town of Huntington says to check with merchants in the village regarding Small Business Saturday.

Sunday, Nov. 26

• The parade will kick off at 5 p.m. starting at Big H Shopping Center on New York Avenue and will continue north to Main Street and then west on Main Street to West Neck Road. The parade will feature a float theme, "Merry Melodies," and judges will vote for the best floats in several categories. The parade will lead into the tree lighting ceremony.
• Entertainment— Michael DelGuidice, leader of the popular Billy Joel tribute band Big Shot, will lead the parade and perform at the tree lighting ceremony. There will also be musical performances throughout the village as well as a scavenger hunt.
• Following the tree lighting ceremony, the festival will continue on Wall Street where there will be a DJ playing music, hot chocolate, face painting, an area to pay to visit Santa Claus, bouncy houses and more.
• Fire departments will then go head-to-head in a friendly competition to decide who gets to play Santa Claus in the 2018 parade. Businesses and organizations are encouraged to participate.
• Holiday crafts and activities for children will be at both the Huntington Public Library and Panera Bread will kick off at noon.
• Gingerbread House competition is limited to to home bakers this year. They will be grouped by age: children (under 15 years old) and adult (15 and over). The finalists in both categories will be displayed in the Town Hall lobby throughout December and January. The public will vote on the winner.
• The interactive map, which can be accessed on your smartphone, will offer information about participating merchants and if they're offering any good deals. It also provides details on parking availability, parade details and a guide to the festival.
• The event's Facebook page will have coupon sheet on the page will include deals from around the Village. You can print the coupons out before the parade and festival.
• Free parking will be available at the Huntington train station with a free shuttle from 4 to 9 p.m.

Patch photo