As the holiday season gets rolling, this is one of Jefferson City's busiest weekends.
And for many, the highlight is the annual Jaycees' Christmas parade through the heart of the downtown shopping district.
But that highlight could create a lowlight for Saturday shoppers and businesses, said Sam Bushman, a past Downtown Association president who's helped coordinate scheduling with those merchants and with the police.
Although the parade doesn't begin until 4:30 p.m. Saturday, parking will be blocked along High Street "from the post office at Washington Street to the library at Adams," Police Capt. Doug Shoemaker said.
In the 100 and 200 blocks of East High - the two blocks that historically attract the largest part of the parade-watching crowd - new temporary barricades also will be set along the curbs on both sides of the street, so parade watchers don't try to run into the street during the parade to retrieve candy or any other goodies parade participants might throw toward the crowd.
Police will start placing the "No Parking" signs around 7 a.m. Saturday, Shoemaker said, adding: "We don't want people to feel that they can't come downtown to shop because of the no parking.
"But in order to make sure there are no vehicles parked when we put up the barricades, we have to enforce the no-parking beforehand - otherwise, trying to move the vehicles would be nearly impossible."