Salina Downtown will light up Saturday night with a parade of lights. But it will be a different sort of parade this year.

Due to COVID-19 concerns the traditional Parade of Lights has been cancelled. “This was one of the hardest decisions we’ve had to make this year”, said Executive Director of Salina Downtown Penny Bettles. “This event brings in hundreds of people to downtown Salina, and because the safety of our community is our number one concern, we feel it is truly best to cancel the parade.

With the cancellation of the Christmas parade, though, another opportunity arose.  Salina Downtown has partnered with Meridian Media in hosting a downtown Christmas Cruise for a Cause.

This year, instead of just sitting on the sidewalk watching, everyone will get to participate in the fun.

Organizers invite everyone to light up and decorate your street legal vehicles, and join us as we cruise Fe Saturday night beginning at 6:00 PM.

Meridian Media will be collecting cash and food donations in the parking lot just north of Ad Astra Books and Coffeehouse from 6:00 – 9:00 PM during the downtown cruise. Pull up in the parking lot between those times and volunteers will safely remove the donations from your vehicle.

All cash donations will be given to Salina Area United Way and food donations will go to the Salina Emergency Aid Food Bank.

Tune in to any one of your favorite Meridian Media stations (Y93.7, 92.7 The New Zoo, FM104.9, 95.5 The Rock, and Newsradio 1150 KSAL) for a rockin’ Christmas playlist.

The route extends from Rod’s Convenience Store on South Santa Fe to Elm. A map illustrating the route will be available on ksal.com.

“We are so proud to be a part of the Salina community, and more specifically, the downtown community,” Meridian Media promotions director Hannah Holt explains. “We want to make sure the same magic we’ve experienced every year isn’t taken away because of the pandemic. I know that we can do this safely, and help people in our community who really need it this year.”

“While 2020 didn’t go the way any of us had planned, we hope that we can still spread a little holiday cheer during our Christmas Cruise for a Cause”, Bettles says.