Parade, entertainment highlight Springfield weekend

Two days of activities surround the annual downtown Christmas parade, which begins at 4:30 p.m. Saturday and features 68 entries for the Characters of Christmas theme. The parade starts near South Avenue and Elm Street, proceeds through downtown and ends in front of the Springfield Expo Center on St. Louis Street.

After the parade, the public is invited to the third annual free post-parade party, beginning at 4:30 p.m. at the Expo Center. Attendees can enjoy interactive games, inflatable games, crafts, face-painting, holiday music, entertainment and exhibits. Krispy Kreme will hand out free doughnuts, and Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr Pepper Bottling Co. will give away product samples.

Downtown horse-drawn carriage rides continue this weekend, 6:30-9 tonight and Saturday. The route begins at the Gillioz Theatre on Park Central East. The cost is $5 per person, and riders are encouraged to bring blankets.

Also, tonight, the Springfield Regional Arts Council is hosting a free hands-on ornament workshop 5-8 at the Creamery Arts Center.

A free public skating session will be held 1-2 p.m. Saturday at Jordan Valley Ice Park. Skate rental is $2.50. The Missouri State University hockey team faces the University of Kansas at 7 tonight at the park and 4 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free tonight for women and sorority and fraternity members who wear Greek letters, and all other tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for MSU students, faculty and staff.

The Children’s Choir of Southwest Missouri will give a holiday concert, City Sidewalks, at 7 p.m. Saturday at Evangel University Chapel Auditorium.

Other entertainment includes a Cowboy Christmas performance by Michael Martin Murphy Saturday. The show is at 8 p.m. at Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts.