Joyfully Sponsored By:

The City of Meridian is pleased to announce that long-time Meridian residents Judge Joe and Sharon Borton will serve as the grand marshals of the 2024 Winter Lights Parade.

Joe Borton, a trial attorney with more than 27 years of litigation experience, was the managing partner at Borton-Lakey Law & Policy in downtown Meridian. He also served on the Meridian City Council for 14 years, serving as its president during a portion of that time. He is an active community member, having served as president of the West Ada Education Foundation, the Meridian Chamber of Commerce, and as chairman of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Southwest Idaho where he was also a youth mentor for eleven years. Idaho Governor Brad Little announced his appointment of Joe Borton as District Judge to the Fourth Judicial District in 2024.

Sharon Borton has been an educator for 29 years, all of those within the West Ada School District. She has won Teacher of the Year honors and served as a school administrator, She attended the University of Idaho and has lived in Meridian for more than 25 years. Also a very active member of the Meridian community, Sharon volunteered for March for Parks and served several terms on the Meridian Parks and Recreation Commission. She also volunteered for the very first Winterland Parade on an evening when the temperature dipped to 11 degrees below zero.

Joe and Sharon are the proud parents of two grown sons and one daughter-in-law.

Parade Hosts!

Michelle Heart from 107.9 Lite FM will join Mayor Robert Simison on the Main Stage. These two will share details about the Winter Lights parade entries and help Santa light the tree. The stage is located Idaho & Main. 

Free Shuttle

Pick up the free shuttle anytime between 5:30 - 9:00 pm in the Albertson's parking lot on the corner of Fairview and Meridian roads.  The shuttle ends at Carlton and Main Street.  

Please note:  The shuttle takes about 20 minutes round trip. Give yourself plenty of time to catch the shuttle and get to the parade route by 7:00 pm.  

Parade Route & Layout Map

Road Closures

Expect traffic delays on I-84 exit onto Meridian Road heading north.  The affected areas will be from the Meridian Speedway, down Main Street to Fairview.

The parade route and roads intersecting it will close at the following times:

• Access to N. Main Street from E. Idaho Avenue will be closed from 8:00 am – 11:00 pm to accommodate the main stage.

• Main Street will be closed from the split corridor to E. Carlton Avenue from 4:00 – 9:00 pm for the Parade Route.

• Franklin Road will remain open until 6:30 pm, right before the parade starts. E. Franklin will be closed from Stratford to Meridian Road from 6:30 – 9:00 pm.

• After the parade, N. Main Street closure will be reduced to E. Broadway to E. Pine Avenue until 9:00 pm - or all the pedestrians have cleared the street.

• 3^rd Street will be closed from E. Broadway Avenue to E. Franklin Road from 7:00 – 9:00 pm for the return route back to the Meridian Speedway.

• Lane restrictions will be in place from 4:00 – 9:00 pm on E. Fairview Avenue from N Meridian Road to N Main Street. Business access to remain open.

• Business access will also remain open on N. Main Street from Fairview – Washington.