The City of Troy Christmas Parade will have a new twist this year that will make the parade and surrounding activities even more fun and more special.

Catherine Jordan, tourism and public relations administrative assistant, said this year’s Christmas parade will be themed, “A Storybook Christmas.”

“Instead of having one Christmas tree on the downtown square, we’ll have six and each tree with carry out the theme,” Jordan said. “The ‘storybook’ trees will be ‘The Night Before Christmas.’ ‘The Polar Express,’ ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas,’ ‘Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer,’ ‘A Christmas Carol,’ and ‘Frosty the Snowman.’”

Ashley Smallwood, Troy special projects director, said the theme, “A Storybook Christmas,” was chosen to promote literacy.

“We want to encourage children to read, read and read,” she said.

Melissa Sanders, parade committee member, said parents will be encouraged to bring their cameras to take photos of their children at the “storybook” trees and with Santa.

When the parade begins at 6 p.m. on Nov. 28, the “A Storybook Christmas” theme will probably be carried out on many of the entries but that’s up to the participants.

“Most of the parade entries will have a Christmas theme but the only restriction is that the entries cannot have a Santa Claus,” Sanders said.

Because there is really only one Santa Claus, no Santa impersonators are allowed in the City of Troy Christmas Parade.

Mrs. Santa Claus will join Santa at the parade and will read “The Night Before Christmas” to the children who cluster around that special Christmas “story” tree after the parade.

Smallwood said there will be four grand marshals for the 2011 City of Troy Christmas Parade. The grand marshals will be chosen from grades K-2 in the public and private schools in Troy.

“The grand marshals will ride on the City of Troy’s float in the parade and help Mayor Jimmy Lunsford light the city’s Christmas trees.”

Jordan said the City of Troy Christmas Parade is a family event that is free and a lot of fun.

“It’s a great way to usher in the Christmas season, so we invite everyone to be a part of welcoming Christmas to Troy,” she said.

The City of Troy Christmas Parade will be at 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 28 in downtown Troy. The tree lighting ceremony will be immediately after the parade on the square.

Parade entry forms are available at Troy City Hall, the Troy Public Relations and Tourism office and the Senior Colley Complex. The deadline to enter the parade is Nov. 18.

For more information, call the City of Troy at 334-566-0177.