{"id":24981,"date":"2024-11-06T23:53:12","date_gmt":"2024-11-07T06:53:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/entries-now-open-for-35th-parade-of-lights-in-cortez\/"},"modified":"2026-03-30T23:05:47","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T05:05:47","slug":"entries-now-open-for-35th-parade-of-lights-in-cortez","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/entries-now-open-for-35th-parade-of-lights-in-cortez\/","title":{"rendered":"Entries now open for 35th Parade of Lights in Cortez"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"A
A dancer following the Montezuma Search and Rescue float.<\/span>Matthew Tangeman<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

Those interested in participating in the 35th Four Corners Board of Realtors Parade of Lights can now fill out an entry form and start brainstorming float ideas, because it\u2019s right around the corner.<\/p>\n

Forms are due Nov. 30, as the parade will start on Cortez\u2019s Main Street at 6 p.m. on Dec. 7.<\/p>\n

Pick up or turn in entry forms to any real estate office in Cortez. Or, email fcborparadeoflights@gmail.com<\/a> with form-related inquiries.<\/p>\n

Each year, there\u2019s a new theme for the parade, which reflects both a greater lesson and the community member chosen as grand marshal.<\/p>\n

This year, the theme is The Gift of Christmas.<\/p>\n

\"Classic
Classic Air Medical dropped off Santa Claus at Maple and Main Streets at the beginning of the Parade of Lights in 2021. (Journal file photo)<\/span>Jim Mimiaga<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Terry McCabe, a longtime organizer of the event who retired last year and was chosen as this year\u2019s Grand Marshal, inspired the theme.<\/p>\n

Since 2008, McCabe has been integral in making the parade happen. She\u2019s also helped grow the parade to what it is today \u2013 the community event that kicks off the holiday season.<\/p>\n

\u201cTerry has given so many years to the parade and to the community,\u201d said Trista Heaton, a co-chairperson helping organize the event. \u201cIn a lot of ways, I feel like it has been her gift to the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

McCabe recalled how 35 years ago, the parade was a modest display of four or five floats driving down Main Street.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s all there was,\u201d McCabe said.<\/p>\n

Back in the day, to get the word out, they\u2019d advertise with hand-drawn posters and KRTZ, the old local radio station, McCabe said.<\/p>\n

With time, they\u2019ve garnered more community support and awareness.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s now printed posters hung in local storefronts to get the word out, and it\u2019s worked: Last year, there were over 70 entries.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd those were just the numbered floats,\u201d Heaton said.<\/p>\n

Many more showed up the day of the parade or entered after entry forms were due \u2013 they just weren\u2019t given a number to then be judged.<\/p>\n

Michelle Morris, the other co-chairperson organizing the parade, said the judges are reminded to grade floats based on how they adhere to the theme and, of course, their light display.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd creativity, and music, too,\u201d McCabe added.<\/p>\n

This year, to go with the \u201chistorical\u201d features of the parade and its celebration of 35 years, Morris said the panel of judges will be those who have judged before, from years past.<\/p>\n

And, like years past, there will be three categories: commercial, nonprofit and other, which is composed of individuals and things like school groups and organizations.<\/p>\n

Within each category, judges will decide a first-, second- and third-place winners, who are then awarded a cash prize of $250, $150 and $100, respectively.<\/p>\n

Such prizes, like the parade itself, is made possible by the Four Corners Board of Realtors.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe realize the prize money isn\u2019t that much, but we think truly people do it not because of the prize money. They do it because they want to be part of it,\u201d Morris said.<\/p>\n

Businesses are also happy to be part of the event.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s three days of the year that are their biggest days, and the Parade of Lights is one of them,\u201d McCabe said.<\/p>\n

And so they eagerly offer signatures required to make the parade happen downtown, because \u201cIt\u2019s not Main Street Cortez, it\u2019s Highway 160 curb to curb,\u201d McCabe said.<\/p>\n

There are no fees to enter the parade.<\/p>\n

To be enrolled properly and considered for cash prizes, be sure to turn in entry forms by Nov. 30.<\/p>\n

And, as a reminder and in response to a tragedy on the Front Range, they kindly ask folks in the parade to not throw candy but to pass it out instead.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re ready for our 35th year,\u201d said Heaton. \u201cWe hope we get 90 entries.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"The
The 35th annual Parade of Lights poster. (Courtesy Michelle Morris)<\/span>Matthew Tangeman<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

and turn in forms by Nov. 30 to be considered for prizes <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24982,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[28,29],"naviga_topic":[],"class_list":["post-24981","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-headlines","tag-newsletter"],"acf":[],"author_name":"dh_admin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24981","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24981"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24981\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":78754,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24981\/revisions\/78754"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24982"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24981"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24981"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24981"},{"taxonomy":"naviga_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/naviga_topic?post=24981"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}