UTICA, N.Y. -- Downtown Utica will once again be a winter wonderland this holiday season. Mayor David Roefaro announced his plans for the second annual Downtown Christmas Stroll Tuesday morning.

The event will include a parade down Genesee Street, which will end at City Hall where a Christmas Party will be held. Santa will be there with gifts for the children and a ceremony for the City Christmas Tree lighting will take place.

Roefaro says he is putting a lot of effort into this year's event because it helps bring the community together.

"It's a quality of life item. It brings people out, it starts off the festive year, it's just going to be something that people are going to have a lot of fun at," said Roefaro.

The Mayor's Downtown Stroll will take place on December 13th. The parade will begin at 4:30 at the intersection of Genesee and South streets.