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Keremeos kicks off holiday season with Light Up

The future of the Keremeos Light Up parade is bright, say two judges of the annual event.

The future of the Keremeos Light Up parade is bright, say two judges of the annual event.

Ron Shonk and Dwayne Woloshyn have judged entries in the parade for the last three years.

“It’s been wonderful to be a part of it,” Woloshyn said shortly after the parade Friday night.

Dressed in fur coats and fur hats Shonk and Woloshyn ticked off a score for each entry from their viewing point in front of the Info Centre.

Woloshyn made special mention of the Special Olympics walking group which had many members carrying lighted snowflakes through the parade. He also noted the Keremeos and Area Ambassadors used circular glow sticks for their light up component.

He was happy to see two new non-registered walking additions to the parade including the Similkameen Sizzle hot peppers and the Keremeos Review.

“It was great to see the new edition of the Review,” Woloshyn said with a chuckle.

The judges imparted some tips for future parade entrants.

“If I could say one thing is that I’d like to see more lights incorporated by the groups. I realize it was difficult in the past because it meant you had to have some sort of power source but now there are a lot of battery operated lights available,” he said.

Shonk said he looks for one thing when judging entries in the parade.

“Energy,” he said. “It could be from lights. It could be from sound or from people. But I want to see energy. Those floats that just have something riding on the back and no energy to it, I don’t really care for,” he said.

Shonk and Woloshyn were two of four judges for the parade.

When all the scores were added up the winners are:

Lower Similkameen Indian Band earned the Best Float in Parade (prize Similkameen Country) and the Peoples Favourite (prize Keremeos Pharmasave), Snowmobile Club, best comedy (prize donated by Harris & Son Transport), Keremeos Museum, Best Non-Profit Organization (Prize donated by Similkameen Agencies), Royal LePage The McDonald’s Dad & Daughter Team, Best Commercial Entry (Prize Gift Certificate donated by Keremeos Review). Youth Prizes 1st, 2nd and 3rd donated by Orchard Blossom Honey. First prize Keremeos Home School, 2nd prize Keremeos Special Olympics and 3rd Prize Cawston Primary School and Peoples Favourite Cawston Primary School (prize donated by K Mountain Auto Repair).

Best Decorated Business: First place, Lower Similkameen Community Services Society, second, Valley First Credit Union, third place, Canadiana Spicery.