Christmas parades return to Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS -- The TCF Holidazzle parades have returned to downtown Minneapolis for the 14th year.

The parades, sponsored by TCF Bank, are held Wednesday through Sunday evenings, from now through Dec. 23 at the Nicollet Mall. Each parade features brightly lit floats, marching bands, celebrity grand marshals and some 250 costumed characters from children's stories. Details at http://www.tcfholidazzle.com.

The parades start at 6:30 p.m. at 12th Street and Nicollet Avenue and continue for 30 minutes along Nicollet, ending at Fifth Street in downtown Minneapolis.

Cinderella, riding in each parade in an illuminated carriage, will be played each night by a different woman chosen from among local community leaders.

The processions all begin with a gigantic shopping cart from Cub Foods, twinkling with hundreds of lights, accompanied by volunteers collecting food and cash donations for the Emergency Foodshelf Network.

A new policy is in effect this year in case of bad weather. Previously, temperatures and wind chill were measured at 40 feet above ground level, but new methods will rate temperature and wind chill at 8 feet above ground level. The parades will be cancelled if temperatures combined with wind chill drop below minus 20 degrees.