Illuminate a plan before seeing Parade of Lights

Twinkly lights and giant trees will decorate downtown Fort Worth this weekend, marking the beginning of the holiday season.

The Christmas tree will be lit in Sundance Square on Saturday, and Santa will be there for photo ops.

On Sunday, downtown will be filled with excited paradegoers to see the annual XTO Energy Parade of Lights.

The parade starts at 6 p.m. at the intersection of Belknap Street and Throckmorton Street.

But plan ahead, because some avenues into downtown will be shut down.

Public transportation will be available — shuttles, buses and trains — so you don’t have to get flustered trying to navigate through traffic.

If you do plan on driving, come early to find alternative routes — especially if you usually exit Interstate 35W to Spur 280. Both southbound and northbound exits are closed for construction, and lanes around the area will also be undergoing work.

Interstate 30 might be your best bet for getting downtown without too much traffic.

The earlier you arrive, the better. You will be more likely to find a parking spot, and there are shops and restaurants to occupy the time. You can even grab a toy or two to donate to Cowboy Santas.

This story was originally published November 16, 2016 at 4:44 PM with the headline "Illuminate a plan before seeing Parade of Lights."