The city of Bogalusa will top off Thanksgiving and kick off the Christmas season Thursday evening with its annual Parade of Lights and opening of Christmas in the Park.

Local folks will get to work off their big turkey dinners by catching the parade and then taking a stroll through the festively lighted park to further put them in the holiday spirit.

The parade features horses, wagons, floats and more, all strung with lights in honor of the advent of Christmas. It will start at 5 p.m. on Columbia Street near E. Sixth Street and roll a circuit through town, ending with a trip through Cassidy Park, which will begin its month-long incarnation as a Christmas wonderland.

Christmas in the Park, which includes acres of lighted displays, photo opportunities with Santa Claus and open museums, will open for walk-through only Thursday as the parade passes.

This year will mark the 20th anniversary of the spectacle of colored lights and forms such as angels, animals, toys and a manger scene, which regularly draws thousands to Bogalusa between Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

The open dates are Nov. 28 through Dec. 1, Dec. 6 through Dec. 8, and Dec. 13 through Dec. 25. Students are allowed in free of charge on School Night, Dec. 9.

The normal schedule is for drive through from 6-7 p.m., and walk through from 7-9 p.m. A transport is available during the latter hours for those who cannot make the walk but prefer the open-air experience.

Admission is $4 for adults, $1 for students and $8 per vehicle during drive through times.