Boats light up for holiday at The Lakes

A parade of boats decorated for the holidays caps the 2009 Lakes Festival of Lights from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday.

The free annual event is in The Lakes community at Lake East and Lake Sahara drives, behind Citibank at 8725 W. Sahara Ave. For details, visit www.lakesassociation.com/festival or call 256-9998.

Festivities include magicians, face painting, balloon art, a vintage car show, and an arts and crafts festival. Visits with Santa Claus are included, and the celebration closes with a lighted boat parade on the lake.

There also will be displays of fire and rescue trucks and the Marine Corps Reserve will accept unwrapped gifts for its Toys for Tots program.

Food vendors will be on hand as well.

A small group of residents organized the initial Festival of Lights in 2001 and it has grown to attract about 6,000 people each year.