SCHENECTADY — The annual Gazette Holiday Parade on Nov. 22 will follow a different route this year.

Citing safety reasons, officials said the parade will start at Lafayette and State streets, as in previous years, and then proceed down State Street to Schenectady County Community College. The reviewing stand will be in the south side parking cutout closest to Proctors.

The parade will step off at 5 p.m. State Street will be closed from 4 p.m. until the parade is over at about 7 p.m.

The date was changed last year to allow shoppers to visit downtown on the Friday after Thanksgiving, and to avoid a conflict with a Proctors production.

The annual parade is a tradition dating back to 1969. It was originally designed to draw people to the downtown area and to kick off the holiday season and now has grown into a much-anticipated event.

The parade theme is “Fairy Tales and Bedtime Stories.”

Pre-parade entertainment will be provided by the Electric City Clown Alley and other special guests.

During the parade, the westbound lanes of the Western Gateway Bridge to Scotia will be closed. Traffic will be allowed eastbound from Scotia to Schenectady.

To participate in the parade, contact the Chamber of Schenectady County.