The Great Bend City Council Monday night took steps to make the annual downtown Christmas celebration safer and more family friendly when it approved several street closings for the night of the festivities.

“The Home for the Holidays Parade is a very successful event and its Great Bend’s way of celebrating the holidays,” said Community Coordinator Christina Hayes. It was Hayes who requested the action. 

“The After Parade Activities are also very popular and continuing to grow,” she said. Therefore she proposed street closures for Saturday, Nov. 28.

“The street closings help with the safety of the children and a friendlier atmosphere for the happenings downtown,” she said.

Here is what she requested be done for that evening:

• Close Main Street from 24th to 12th Street during the parade from the hours of 5:15 to 6:30 p.m. and for the Great Bend Police Department to help in keeping the intersections cleared especially around Lakin Avenue for the parade.

• Request to keep Main Street closed from Broadway Avenue to 12th Street for an additional two hours after the parade to allow the horse-drawn carriage, train rides and free food vendors have access to the street area.

• Close Lakin Avenue from 4 to 9 p.m. and allow parking on the north side of Lakin Avenue from noon-9 p.m.