![\"North](\"https:\/\/sduptownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Toyland_pic2.jpg\")
\u201cThe Lions Club has come in this year with a very generous sponsorship and the reason that this parade is able to continue this year is because of the Lions Club,\u201d Landsberg said. \u201cThe reason they are sponsoring this parade is because they love the community and they are also actively searching for new members who want to help support North Park.\u201d<\/p>\n
There is also a GoFundMe page to help raise funds for expenses that include the infrastructure and security required for a parade. The link for it can be found on the NPMS website and the community is encouraged to log in to help support the parade.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re hoping to have over 100 entries. We\u2019ve got some great car clubs this year, we\u2019ve got dancers, we\u2019ve got singers and we\u2019re hoping that it\u2019s going to be a fantastic event for the community like it has been for the past 56 years,\u201d Landsberg said. \u201cOur grand marshall is Troy Johnson of San Diego Magazine \u2014 he is a food writer who really loves North Park and is going to be there to celebrate with us that day. We\u2019re going to have elected officials once again, Toni Atkins, Chris Ward, Nathan Fletcher, and we\u2019ve got our local elementary schools that are also going to be a part of it this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe parade route will be streamlined this year to be exclusively on University Avenue, and a mini festival will be added after the event. The route is going to start on University and Utah and head east to Herman; people are encouraged to bring chairs \u2013 to sit up along the route \u2013 we\u2019re really hoping that people will stay around afterwards and do some holiday shopping and dine at our restaurants. We\u2019ve got a Christmas tree lot that\u2019s going to be behind the North Park Theater [The Observatory North Park] so people can come by that day and buy their Christmas tree if they want. There will also be specials for people who attended the parade. All of the restaurants and shops will be pulling specials for the day.\u201d<\/p>\n
This event will serve as an opportunity for residents to support their local businesses and pump money back into the community. A separate music-based event called \u201cNorth Park Live\u201d will take place on Saturday, Nov. 30, that will also help promote the parade. The idea is to make this year\u2019s parade the most successful to date. Residents are encouraged to participate in the parade as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re looking for volunteers; we\u2019re hoping that people will come and help us that have parade experience, but if you don\u2019t have parade experience and you want to learn about it, we\u2019d be happy to talk to you. They can contact our office by email or phone,\u201d Landsberg added. \u201cBut we\u2019re really looking for entries, so if anyone is interested in being in the parade, that\u2019s what we need more than anything right now. And it doesn\u2019t have to be a giant float, it can be you and 10 of your coworkers wearing T-shirts and carrying brooms if you are a housecleaning company; or margarita shakers if you\u2019re bartenders and you wanna all do it together; if you\u2019re a day care center and you want to pull a bunch of kids in wagons, we\u2019d like that. We want it to be as authentic and hometown as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
To participate in the parade, go to NorthParkMainStreet.com<\/a> and click on the events tab. Under Toyland Parade, you can access a sign-up form.<\/p>\n