Holonyak Jr. named honorary Grand Marshal of 2019 Parade of Lights
11/6/2019 Joseph Park, ECE ILLINOIS
Nick Holonyak Jr. has been named as the honorary Grand Marshal of this year's Parade of Lights. The parade will take place on November 30 at 6 p.m. in downtown Champaign.
Holonyak invented the first visible LED in 1962 and was part of the technical staff at Bell Telephone Laboratories and General Electric before coming to the University of Illinois. He holds 41 patents and retired as professor emeritus in 2013. Holonyak currently resides at Clark-Lindsey with his wife Kay.
“Nick Holonyak Jr.’s contribution to technological advancement is incredible,” stated Tricia Johnson, Parade of Lights Committee Chair. “We are excited to honor his scientific achievements at this year’s Parade of Lights, a fitting event for the inventor of the LED which illuminates our parade!”
The parade will take place on November 30 at 6:00 p.m in downtown Champaign. Pre-parade programming will begin with the first annual Shop Local Holiday Market. Community members can also expect a visit from Santa at Big Grove Tavern, horse and carriage rides, a Find Frost! scavenger hunt, and live entertainment.
The theme for the parade this year is Winter Wonderland. Pre-parade programming will begin