Durham parade is Saturday

Durham will officially kick off the holiday season Saturday.

The city's annual parade will begin at 4 p.m. on the corner of Jackie Robinson Drive and Blackwell Street (near the Durham Bulls Athletic Park).

Here's a schedule of the events.

MUSICAL CELEBRATION

Participants can enjoy music at the CCB Plaza (201 Corcoran St.).

2 P.M.: Durham Chorale & Choraleers

3 P.M.: Nazereno

3:35 P.M.: Triangle Youth Jazz Ensemble

4:45 P.M.: Professor Jazz

6 P.M.: PearsonSong

PARADE ROUTE

The route starts at Jackie Robinson and Blackwell, travels up Blackwell across Pettigrew, across the railroad tracks, continues north past the CCB Plaza onto Foster Street and ends at Foster and Geer Street.

PARKING

Free parking will be available at the Church Street Garage, 109 S. Mangum St. There is also $2 event parking at the Centre Garage (300 W. Morgan St.) and the Corcoran Street Garage (101 E. Corcoran St).

No parking will be permitted on:

* Blackwell Street between Lakewood Avenue and Pettigrew Street

* Ramseur Street between Corcoran and Mangum streets

* Mangum Street between Ramseur and Morgan streets

* Morgan Street between Mangum and Foster streets

* Foster Street between Morgan and Geer streets

STREET CLOSURES

The parade staging will begin at 2:30 p.m. These streets will be blocked:

* Blackwell Street between Lakewood Avenue and Pettigrew Street

* Jackie Robinson Drive/Willard Street between South Mangum and Jackson streets

* Morehead Avenue between Duke and South Mangum streets

FREE SHUTTLE SERVICE

Durham Parks and Recreation will provide a free shuttle from the Measurement Inc. parking lot on Morris Street between Hunt and Corporation streets back to the starting point of the parade. The shuttle will run every 15 to 20 minutes from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

TREE LIGHTING

Mayor Bill Bell and Durham's elected officials will light the tree immediately after the parade at the CCB Plaza.