Bucky the Beaver to serve as Night We Light parade grand marshal Nov. 29

In addition to about 800,000 festive bulbs, this year’s First City of Lights Night We Light Celebration will include exactly one distinguished beaver.

Bucky the Beaver, Bemidji State University’s beloved mascot, will serve as the grand marshal of Bemidji’s annual Night We Light parade this year.

Bucky joins a number of other noteworthy guests to act as grand marshals, which has most recently included Joe Vene (2023), Todd Haugen (2022) and Andra Vaughn and Linda Autry (2021).

This year’s parade is set to begin at 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 29, in downtown Bemidji. It will start in the Beltrami County Administrative Building west parking lot, go east on Eighth Street, turn south on Beltrami Avenue and go down to Third Street, then travel west and end at Irvine Avenue.

Bucky will be handing out BSU T-shirts and other goodies throughout the route.

After the parade, the First City of Lights Foundation will illuminate about 800,000 lights throughout Bemidji’s downtown parks and streets to kick off the holiday season. Special guests, musical performances and awards for the best parade entries are also presented at this time. In 2023, the Alumni & Foundation’s float was named the best nonprofit float in the parade.

The Night We Light Celebration began in 1996, with the first parade happening in 1997.

For more information on Night We Light and the First City of Lights Foundation, visit www.firstcityoflights.org.