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After the organizer of the Dallas Holiday Parade said its inflatables were in peril due to ballooning costs, a donor stepped in.
DALLAS — The Dallas Holiday Parade will float on after its balloons were saved by a donation from a cryptocurrency, the organizer announced.
The parade usually features more than two dozen balloons with iconic Christmas characters like gingerbread, snowmen and nutcrackers, WFAA previously reported. Organizers pay every year to move the downtown Dallas traffic signals aside to allow the balloons to pass through downtown streets. Jeffrey Giles, who puts on the parade, told WFAA the cost the city charges has blown up in recent years.
Without a donor or a lower price, Giles said the balloons wouldn’t make it down the parade route this year.
TEXITCoin, a cryptocurrency, is committed to covering the cost of moving the traffic lights, Giles said. Now, the balloons will definitely join the parade alongside marching bands and other performers.
The city has not provided a final cost for moving the lights, he added. But the city’s transportation department is reviewing equipment and staffing to try and defer some of the costs, Giles said.
“I feel a tremendous sense of confidence that the city of Dallas Offices of Special Events and transportation and their respective leadership are working together to help the event navigate the new, challenging frontier of giant-scale events,” Giles said.
The parade is scheduled for this 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 6.
This isn’t the first time the Dallas Holiday Parade has received a well-timed donation to keep the show going. In 2023, Verizon became the presenting sponsor of the event after financial concerns almost led to the parade being canceled.