Best Tips For Enjoying 2017 Rockford’s Expanded Stroll On State

It's that time of year again Rockford. Stroll on State time. It's going to be a busy one. Every year the number of people in attendance increases.

This year they have expanded the hours from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m to be able to accommodate more people. So if you are worried about braving the crowds, here are some helpful hints to help get you through the night, courtesy of gorockford.com.

Parade: Parade starts at 3 PM so make sure you get there nice and early to reserve a spot. It runs from the Rockford Public Library on Wyman Street south to State Street and then east across the State Street bridge and ending at N. 3rd Street.

Frosty' Bite and Brews Market: located at the Rockford City Market Pavilion and the parking lot at the corner of N. Main and Mulberry Streets.

ATMs: Illinois bank and trust are providing these at the following locations... between Wyman and Main Streets, at the City Market Pavilion, near the Hot Chocolate Express, at the corner of E. State and 1st Streets, and near the Kringle Cafe located at State and 3rd Streets.

Santa: To make things easier there are two Santa lands this year. One location is west of the river inside Stewart Square and the other is outdoors on the east side of the river by Millennium Fountain.

Littles: In order to accommodate the tiniest elves there will also be a couple indoor locations on site for nursing mothers and diaper changing stations.

Shuttle Buses: Don't want to park far and walk? There are three shuttle buses you can take! Pick up a shuttle bus at the YMCA downtown (200 Y. Blvd.), Heartland Community Church (1280 S. Alpine Rd.) or Illinois Bank & Trust (4048 E. State St.). Park at any one of these locations and a bus will bring you directly to the Stroll grounds!
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Tree Lighting: Rockford's official tree lighting ceremony beginning at 6 p.m.! The tree is located at the corner of State & Wyman Streets. I would suggest heading down there really really early if you want to be able to see it up close.

Social Media: Wondering how to share your favorite snaps, tweets and posts with the rest of the world? Simple. Use #strollonstate on your social media channels and pass the word to your friends and fans! Follow the Go Rockford channels on Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and Twitter all night long to get an inside view of the event.