By Louis Zylka
The 830 Times
Del Rio’s 2024 Superhero Christmas Parade will take place on Friday with over 100 entries marching and driving along Main Street.
The annual Christmas parade starts at 6:30 p.m. on Ogden Street
and ends on Nicholson Street.
The theme for this year’s Christmas parade is “Superhero Christmas.” Peter Ojeda, the city’sdirector for marketing and communications, said some floats will have decorations from Marvel and DC Comics, but he mentioned other groups will have themes based on different interpretations of what a superhero is.
“For church groups, we, the city staff, see them put Jesus Christ in their descriptions for parade entries . . . Depending on the organization, their interpretation of a superhero is a little different. It’s not just Batman or Superman; it is whoever their superhero is for the holidays,” Ojeda said.
The parade will also have a contest with various categories based
on the number of Christmas lights used, the best live performances, music and bands incorporated, and overall creativity and appearance.
Ojeda said the one thing the city is doing differently this year is letting the judges look at the parade entrants while they set up before driving down Main Street, which allows the contest’s winners to be announced sooner.
Ojeda also said the city is still accepting applications for people wanting to be part of the parade, but he informs readers that the submissions for the 
contest have ended. Final entries being submitted this week will not be judged during Friday’s contest.
The parade ends with the lighting of the city’s Christmas tree in Greenwood Park. Ojeda said the lighting of the Christmas tree starts about an hour after the parade finishes.
The annual Christmas Market will also be at Greenwood Park on 599 Griner St. The market will start early, at 2 p.m. and it will end at 11 p.m.
