By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

The Alabaster Christmas Parade will step off from Jimmy Gould Drive near Jim ‘N Nick’s, and will travel around the Colonial Promenade parking lot before coming to an end near Lowe’s, city officials announced after they recently finalized the parade route.

The parade, which is being held at the Colonial Promenade for the first time this year, will begin at 10 a.m. on Dec. 3.

Parade participants will stage along Alabaster Boulevard and at Westwood Baptist Church until 8:30 a.m., when Alabaster Boulevard will be closed to all non-parade traffic until about 1 p.m.

“The staging process is going to be a lot easier this year. We won’t have to stage in 10 different parking lots like we have in the past,” said Alabaster Parks and Recreation Director Ricky Nance.

After the parade begins near Jim ‘N Nick’s, it will take a right turn at Moe’s and travel in front of businesses until it reaches the Amstar Theater. The parade will then travel down the other side of the parking lot until it reaches its ending point near Taco Bell.

Colonial Promenade Parkway will remain open throughout the parade.