The free event, starting at 5 p.m., features holiday fun, food, music and a parade of lights starting at 6:30 p.m.

The evening includes the Electric Lights Parade featuring a flotilla of vehicles, floats and walking groups decked out in holiday lights that will make their way along State Avenue from Municipal Court to the park at 514 Delta Ave.

As of Tuesday there were 31 parade entries, but city parks director Jim Ballew expects more to join in. The Marysville-Pilchuck and Marysville Getchell high school marching bands and cheerleaders will take part. The Strawberry Festival float will be there, along with a float from the Granite Falls School of Dance. Pirates of Treasure Island and Community Transit’s Oxy Gene will be there along with the Gunslinger, Everett Eagles and Shooting Stars drill teams.

After the parade, at approximately 7 p.m., the lighting of the water tower by Mayor Jon Nehring will officially welcome the start of the holiday season in Marysville.

For this year’s musical entertainment, Layered System will perform the sounds of the season in the Rotary Pavilion from 7-7:30 p.m. A bonfire with free coffee and chowder will be available. Santa and Mrs. Claus and holiday scenes will be available for visitors to take photos. The scenes include a 9-foot-tall rubber duck, inflatable holiday forest and a hay ride.

Marysville Community Food Bank director Dell Deierling is the grand marshal.

Donations of non-perishable food items and new, unwrapped gifts for the food bank will be accepted. Red barrels for donations will be placed around the Ken Baxter Community Center. Because of problems at the center the annual craft fair won’t be held there, but artisans will be outside, along with food vendors.

Parks director Jim Ballew encouraged people to bring canned food and toys.

“We’re struggling with the current level of giving,” he said.

Meanwhile, Marysville’s Cedarcrest Golf Course will become an after-dark winter wonderland starting Dec. 11, when fairways are transformed into a showcase for dazzling light  displays at the 4th Annual Holiday Tour of Lights.

Two four-car Merrysville Express Rotary Trains will take 12-14 visitors each on winding paths, taking guests on a 15-minute ride through rolling hills on the west side front nine of the course. They go around the pond, and see animated displays, such as at penguin village where they fall off an igloo. They also go through polar bear forest and Santa’s Workshop on Hole No. 3, where kids can get out, meet with Santa and his elves, and get a candy cane.

Tours will be available from 6-9 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays Dec. 11-27 at the course, 6810 84th St. NE. The tour will be closed for Christmas.

While there is no admission, a donation of $3 per child, $5 per adult or $20 per family is suggested. A bonfire, s’mores and cocoa are included.

About 2,000 people a year attend the event, looking at the 35 displays. Most of the displays and lights have been purchased with $10,000 in grant money and $4,000 in sponsorship fees.

Parks maintenance manager Mike Robinson said just like people in their homes they sometimes have to deal with lights going out.

“A fuse my go bad or some might shut off because of too much moisture,” Robinson said. “It sounds comical now, but a display might deflate, and we don’t know why. Or a generator might run out of gas. We just scratch our head, roll up our sleeves and unplug one circuit at a time just like at home,” he said with a chuckle.

Robinson said the event takes about six days to set up, but snow last week made it easier because there were no golfers.

“It’s usually harder because we have to keep an eye out for the golfers,” he said.

The back nine isn’t used because bridges are too narrow for the trains, and there’s not enough electricity there.

“Power is everything when it comes to displays,” he said.

Guy wires are left up all year to make setup quicker.

The event brings in much-need revenue for the golf course. Weather permitting, even when ground displays are put up next week golfers will be playing. They just get a free drop if their ball falls near a display.

“Ideally we’ll have golf during the day, and the tour at night,” Robinson said.

For details on any of the events, call the Marysville Parks and Recreation Department at 360-363-8400 or visit the website at marysvillewa.gov.