Denver’s Parade of Lights will close a lot of downtown on Saturday. Here’s a map of streets to avoid

For parade-goers, expect a chilly, mostly sunny day.
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An illuminated horse. Parade of lights. Dec. 2, 2016. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite) parade of lights; holiday; christmas; civic center; kevinjbeaty; denver; denverite; colorado;

It's the time of year when Denver's free downtown ice skating rink, a German-style holiday market and the annual Parade of Lights (Fun fact: I walked in it as a purple fish in 2014)  all joyously illuminate the city center's streets.

This also means that it's best to avoid driving around downtown this Saturday, especially if you're not going to the parade.

The 49th annual 9NEWS Parade of Lights will kick off Saturday, Dec. 2, at 6 p.m.

The two-mile parade, generally lasting about an hour, will begin in front of the Denver City and County Building and will make its way through stretches of Tremont Street, 17th Street, Arapahoe Street, 15th Street and Glenarm Street.

Street closures will begin as early as 2 p.m. and will remain in effect until 10 p.m., meaning there will be no street parking or vehicle access during this time.

The weekend weather shouldn't get in the way of parade-goers having a good time.

Expect mostly sunny skies and a high of 48 degrees throughout the day, according to the National Weather Service. Temps will fall back down to the 20s by Saturday night.

This year's parade will feature 40 floats, helium-filled character balloons, marching bands, equestrian units and other cultural displays. Santa Claus himself is also expected to make his usual special guest appearance.

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