News briefs for the week of Nov. 30 include the Christmas parade's road closures, Holiday Lights Tour and free entry to national parks for veterans.
City of Plant City Holiday Lights Tour
During the holiday season downtown Plant City becomes a festival of twinkling lights as it hosts its annual Holiday Lights Tour. The tour officially kicks off on Thurs., Nov. 30 when the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony takes place in McCall Park and all the lights on all the displays citywide are turned on, ushering in the holiday season.
The light displays have expanded throughout the years and now include Veterans Memorial Park, Bruton Memorial Library, City Hall, Unity in the Community Park, McCall Park, Samuel W. Cooper Park, Village Green Park, Union Station Depot and Dr. Hal & Lynn Brewer Park.
The map displays locations of the City of Plant City Holiday Lights.
Visit https://tinyurl.com/w5yvpnub or scan the QR code in the map to see where to start and end the “lightseeing” tour.
Plant City Christmas Parade Will Impact Road Closures
The Plant City Christmas Parade is coming to town Fri., Dec. 1 and will impact roadways, city officials said.
Road closures will begin at approximately 5 p.m. The parade begins at 7 p.m. on S. Collins Street at the W. Ball Street intersection and will travel north to Reynolds Street then turn east on Reynolds Street, ending at the Plant City Courthouse. The parade, which is hosted and organized by Plant City Christmas Parade will conclude at approximately 9 p.m.
The Plant City Police Department will be on-site to manage traffic and road closures.
“Operation Stuffed” DUI Results
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office conducted “Operation Stuffed,” a multiple-agency initiative to combat driving under the influence from Wed., Nov. 22 to Sun., Nov. 26 with deputies patrolling the roads, targeting both drug and alcohol-impaired drivers. Results included 279 traffic stops, 23 citations, 256 warnings, 44 DUI arrests and 3 DUI hospital cases.
“I express my gratitude to our exceptional deputies and collaborative partner agencies for their commitment to ensuring road safety during this holiday weekend. Many of them selflessly sacrificed time with their families to help ensure the safety of our community,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “Although this holiday weekend has ended, the holiday season is just beginning. As you enjoy the celebrations of the season, I want to remind everyone to never drive under the influence. Please do your part in keeping our community safe. Let’s all have a great holiday season.”
Veterans Can Score A Free Lifetime Pass To National Parks/Other Public Lands
Veterans and Gold Star Families are eligible for a free Interagency Military Lifetime Pass to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites spread out across more than 400 million acres of public lands, including national parks, wildlife refuges and forests, which host activities to fit any lifestyle- from serene to high octane, including hiking, fishing, paddling, biking, hunting, stargazing, camping and more.
Passes can be obtained in person while visiting a participating site. Visit nps.gov/planyourvisit/pickup-pass-locations.htm for a searchable list and be sure to contact the site before you go, to make sure they are open and have passes in stock. Military passes, as well as those for seniors and persons with permanent disabilities, are available online at store.usgs.gov/recreational-passes with an additional processing fee.
For more information about eligibility and passes, visit nps.gov/planyourvisit/veterans-and-gold-star-families-free-access.htm.
Register For Keel Farms New Year’s Eve Giveaway
Love the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? Enter Keel Farms New Year’s Eve Giveaway to win two tickets to the Saints vs. Bucs home game on Dec. 31, an official signed Buccaneers jersey, a bottle of Keel and Curley Orange Sangria and food vouchers redeemable at the game. No purchase necessary. Enter to win at keelfarms.com/2023-bucs-sweepstakes.
