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The Santa Parade and Tree Lighting Ceremony in December, 2019
It's somehow already December, which means one of my favorite weekends is almost here! This Saturday -- alongside hundreds of others -- I'll be making the short trek from Auburn High School to City Hall for our annual Santa Parade and Tree Lighting Ceremony.
If you've never been, let me explain: Crafts, cookies, live music, a parade, Santa (?!?) and one lucky child who lights it all! Each year, one lucky child gets to flip the switch, lighting up the magnificent tree in front of City Hall, where it will remain illuminated throughout the season!
I had the privilege of selecting our lucky little one on Thursday. Congratulations Aria Singh! Aria is 9 years old and has a passion for getting involved. Along with playing on her school's soccer team, she also volunteers at her school's safety patrol squad. She loves to play with her dogs and her sister, and she's an Auburn native.
Santa and I are looking forward to meeting you soon Aria!
📅 Saturday, Dec. 3
🕐 4:30 p.m. parade begins, other events throughout the afternoon
📍 City Hall
I'm being Captain Obvious here, but it snowed a lot this week and I'm sure it impacted everyone, some a lot more than others. If you live on one of our hills, work early in the morning or late at night, or in general just have to drive often, I feel for you.
The City of Auburn is committed to providing quality service during snow events in the form of de-icing, plowing, sanding, salting and more. This week on Wednesday, we activated our after-hours snow response, sending crews out in the late afternoon to cover the commute. That night, we also had crews out at midnight to de-ice and prepare for the morning commute.
 Our snow and ice route priority is based on many factors, such as slope, average daily traffic and needs of emergency vehicles. I always recommend reading our winter weather preparedness page on our website so you can see our snow and ice routes map. And hey, maybe consider bookmarking it for the future!
While I have you, maybe consider also listening to the latest episode of our "That's so Auburn!" podcast, where we go over ways to prepare for the season. We also talk about trash and recycling collection during storm events, and we invited the school district to discuss snow days and learning in a post-COVID environment.
This week I had the pleasure of presenting the Auburn School District Army JROTC cadets their "Admirals Award" from the Veteran's Parade judging committee. The ceremony was held at Auburn Mountainview High School on Wednesday, just as the snow storm was rolling in. As you'd expect, the group were as fun and excited as high schoolers can be, offering me cake and the opportunity to take plenty of selfies!
 The Admiral's Award is granted to the parade entry that best exemplifies the military. As you can imagine, this group was quite honored. And I was honored to be a part of it!
Congratulations students! Don't hesitate to invite me back.
Photo courtesy of Auburn Symphony Orchestra
I hope you can come celebrate the holidays with Auburn Symphony Orchestra on Monday! Bring the entire family for an evening of comfort and cheer to hear favorites like Polar Express and Greensleeves, as well as newer works like Navidad Latina! by local composer Anthony DiLorenzo, and Chanukah 5776 by Sam Hyken.
To make this evening particularly special, the symphony is welcoming Rainier Youth Choir to perform selections from the movie Home Alone, and Nutcracker dancers from Evergreen City Ballet will be posing for photos in the lobby. And, real reindeer from Rainier Reindeer Ranch beginning at 6 p.m. before the concert!
Plus, the symphony's Sing-Along is back for the first time in three years!
📅 Monday, Dec. 5
🕐 7:30 p.m.
📍 Auburn Performing Arts Center, 702 4th Street NE
🎟️ https://bit.ly/3UqiPf6
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