12/01/2023

Noblesville Mayor Chris Jensen has announced that three 2023 Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) State Champion teams from Noblesville High School will be honored as part of the inaugural Holiday in Lights Parade.

The girls track and field, unified track and field, and girls soccer teams will be featured in the nighttime parade, which begins at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2. The boys soccer team was invited, but is unable to participate in Saturday’s event; however, the city is looking at another way to recognize the three-peat state champions.

The girls soccer team won its fourth state title in five years. The IHSAA Class 3A back-to-back state champions finished this season with a 17-1-3 record after a 3-1 victory over Bloomington South at Carroll Stadium in October. An impressive effort in Bloomington in June helped the girls track and field team win its championship. The team scored 45 points, edging runner-up Warren Central by 1 point for the title.

Unified Sports enables persons with and without intellectual disabilities to participate on the same team for sports training and competition. Noblesville was one of the original 13 schools to have a Unified Track and Field team, which launched in 2012 as a partnership between Special Olympics Indiana and the IHSAA. In June, Noblesville’s Unified track team won its first state championship.

“Our student-athletes are great ambassadors of our city. We love to honor our youth’s achievements in the community and look forward to celebrating with our state champions on Saturday,” Jensen said. “It’s going to be a very festive weekend in Noblesville and a great way to kick off the holiday season.”

In addition to the NHS athletes and 50+ participating groups, Santa Claus will be joining the parade as the last entry. Following the parade, Santa will be inside the Green Room at Federal Hill Commons until 9 p.m. to take photos and hear Christmas wishes. Holidays at the Hill will also have restrooms, the walking lights display, and the Ice Plaza skating rink open before and after the parade for guests to enjoy at the park.

The parade route will be different than others. While it will start at 16th and Harrison streets and travel south on 16th Street to Logan Street, the parade will continue west through downtown before ending at State Road 19. Hamilton County Emergency Management Agency will assist the city by providing additional portable light stands to better illuminate the roadway and sidewalks along the route.

"I'm excited to have the parade downtown this year with a new spin on it being a nighttime event. Our historic downtown will look beautiful lit up along the route while featuring storefronts, our Courthouse Square, and decorated homes. It's truly going to be a magical experience for parade goers and participants," Jensen said.

The Noblesville Fire Department will have donation boxes on the Courthouse Square during the parade for those wanting to make donations to its 46^th Annual Food and Toy Drive to help approximately 100 families. The fire department is accepting canned goods, non-perishable food items, and new, unwrapped toys until Friday, Dec. 8. For more information on how you can donate, contact the fire department at 317-776-6336.