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AUBURN — The Twin Cities will kick off the holiday season Wednesday night with twin Christmas tree lightings and a parade across Longley Memorial Bridge.

“We have a nice little mix of city departments and equipment, music and parade floats,” said Jeremy Gatcomb of the Auburn Recreation Department.

It is the fifth year the cities have combined efforts for their holiday celebration. 

Staff from the Auburn Public Library are hosting pre-parade events for kids from 4 to 6 p.m. at Auburn Hall. It will include a story time from 4 to 4:30 p.m. and crafts from 4:30 to 6 p.m.

The main festivities will kick off at 6 p.m. in Lewiston’s Dufresne Plaza on Lisbon Street with the lighting of the Lewiston Christmas tree and the kickoff of the parade. The parade will travel down Lisbon Street, down Main Street and across Longley Bridge to Auburn. Those streets will be closed to traffic during the parade.

Gatcomb said this year’s parade will feature 18 floats, including firetrucks and public works vehicles from both Lewiston and Auburn, the Edward Little High School marching band and floats created by Lewiston-Auburn families.

The parade’s destination is Festival Plaza and the Auburn tree. The parade will be greeted by Edward Little and Lewiston high school chorus groups, costumed winter characters, free hot cocoa, doughnut holes and the lighting of the Auburn tree and the community menorah.

Stillbrook Acres of Gray will give free wagon rides along the Auburn portion of the parade route from 5 to 8 p.m. Santa Claus will be on hand to take pictures with children, courtesy of Photo Finish.

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