MISSOULA — The Parade of Lights will take place on Saturday in Missoula but it will have a different spin this time around.
In years past, the parade would be downtown with organizers saying about 5,000 people show up to view the floats.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they're changing things up. The first-ever reverse parade is happening from 5 to 8 p.m. on Campus Drive at the University of Montana.
It's cars only, in an effort to keep group sizes down and if you want to participate you can enter near the Adams Center by 6th Street.
Floats will line Campus Drive all around campus, and holiday event kits for the family will be available.
Program Director Kalina Wickham says the parade is a gift to the community, and they didn't want the pandemic to take that away.
"This is something that we can offer that's covid safe, that is as inclusive as inclusive as we can in this really strange atmosphere that we're in,” Wickham said.
“We really thought that was a really exciting thing to offer so we can have some of that holiday magic back again this year," she added.
The Downtown Missoula Partnership is thanking its sponsors and the University of Montana for helping make the parade possible.
