Edison Festival of Light Parade Lights the Night in Fort Myers, Florida

It is easy to tell when the Edison Festival of Light Parade is getting ready to come to Ft. Myers, Florida. This year the parade arrives on February 20, 2010 at 7:00 p.m., and already on the sidewalks downtown, duct tape is beginning to appear, marking out squares; lawn chairs are sprouting like mushrooms along the route. Since 1938 the Edison Festival of Light Parade honoring Thomas Alva Edison has been delighting residents and visitors from around the world, as it lights up the night sky with floats, marching bands, music, local dignitaries, and famous Parade Marshals.

It has long been a charming tradition for those planning to attend the Grand Parade to mark out their spots with duct tape and to place their chairs in advance on the sidewalk in their favorite spots. More recently, local charities have also begun selling seating in prime spots with chairs at the ready. The parade itself is free.

What began as the three day Edison Pageant of Light now encompasses three full weeks of festivities, culminating in the Grand Parade, one of the largest night time parades in the country. The Edison Parade of Light is held at night to showcase all the lights used on the floats, honoring the memory of Fort Myers' most famous resident, Thomas Alva Edison, and his invention of the light bulb.

Local families work for months to build floats, which debut at the Junior Parade on the Sunday afternoon closest to Valentine's Day, and are heavily populated with children. After the Junior Parade, awards are given out in many categories, and the floats that win are allowed to appear in the night time parade, which is quite an honor. Of course, the float with the Royal Court, and the newly crowned King and Queen of Edisonia, is always a favorite!

They are joined by professionally done floats highlighting various businesses, schools, churches, organizations and attractions, such as Busch Gardens. The floats are breathtaking with all the dazzling lights, music blaring, and costumed people waving, singing or dancing.

Along with floats, there are many marching bands scattered throughout, adding greatly to the excitement. Starting with all the local bands and extending to bands from across the country and even as far away as Canada, as soon as the faint sound of the cadence approaches, everyone begins cheering. When the bands appear, marching in formation and crisply playing a favorite tune, the crowd goes wild, singing, cheering and sometimes dancing along.

Fire trucks, police cruisers, local dignitaries and government officials approach, to a crowd cheering, or reverently standing as the American flag passes; contest winners and beauty pageant queens riding in style in convertibles pass by to wild applause. There are always surprises for the crowd along with the greatly anticipated familiar elements. Sometimes the Clydesdale Horses make an appearance; the SunTrust bank usually has their large balloon of a bright yellow sun; and the stunt-riding motorcycle policemen from Ohio never fail to please.

Most years the parade has begun downtown on the banks of the Caloosahatchee River, winding its way through the streets to culminate in the local high school stadium to a crowd of people in the stands. This year the Edison Pageant of Light Parade will begin at the Fort Myers High School stadium, end up at the River District and culminate in an after-parade party with live entertainment at Centennial Park on the river.

This February 20, 2010, people from all over the world will be lining the parade route through downtown Fort Myers, Florida, enjoying the beautiful weather under the stars while waiting to see the Edison Festival of Light parade once again.

Sources: Personal experience
http://www.edisonfestival.org/event_schedule/grand_parade.html