The two-day parade party begins tonight.

Changing tradition after 23 years, the Star City Holiday Parade is throwing a preview night from 6 to 8 p.m. at Pershing Center, instead of the usual post-parade festivity.

The walking units that will be in Saturday’s parade will perform outside Pershing tonight and be judged by a panel of children at that time.

Inside Pershing, the event will feature entertainment, concessions for sale and pictures with Santa.

The parade floats will arrive in downtown Lincoln this afternoon and will be lined up on 11th Street between M and N streets. The Major Drummond float, which leads off the parade, will be displayed outside Pershing.

The parade itself — with 50 units, including 16 bands and four large balloons — also will reverse tradition Saturday morning.

This year’s parade will begin at 11 a.m. at 14th and M, go east to Centennial Mall, north to O, and west to 10th — flip-flopping the usual route. Pre-parade entertainment begins at 10 a.m. along the route.

Parade organizers also are hoping for a change from last year’s weather, when icy conditions forced a one-week postponement of the parade. As of Thursday afternoon, Saturday’s forecast calls for an afternoon high of 36, under partly cloudy skies.

Parade potpourri

* The parade is presented by Verizon Wireless and produced by Updowntowners Inc. and the City of Lincoln.

* Children can deliver their letters to Santa at either the preview night or the parade. U.S. Postal Service employees will collect the letters, and — provided you put a return address on your letter —Santa will write you back before the holidays.

* Mayor Chris Beutler wants you to bring cans of Spam to donate to the Food Bank of Lincoln. To encourage holiday giving to non-profit agencies, Beutler will personally match the first 200 cans donated through Dec. 15.

Collection barrels will be located at Pershing tonight and Saturday morning. Spam also can be dropped off at any city office, including the mayor’s office, the F Street Community Center and all city libraries.

* The Lincoln Convention and Visitors Bureau is offering a “Preview, Pillow, Parade” package that includes tonight’s preview night festivities, lodging at the Cornhusker Marriott and VIP seating for Saturday’s parade. Package price: $79 (plus tax, double occupancy). More information is available at lincoln.org.

* The parade will again be televised live statewide by KOLN-KGIN-TV and will be re-aired at noon Sunday on My TV (Time Warner Cable channel 110).

* Marcus Theatres is offering free holiday movies Saturday at 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis.

* The city is offering free parking for the parade in its lots and garages — those marked with the green “Park It” signs. You have to enter the garage before 1 p.m.

* More information on the parade is available on the City Web site at lincoln.ne.gov and at www.starcityholidayparade.org.

Parade lineup

Here’s the parade lineup,subject to change (unit sponsors in parentheses):

1. Major Drummond float (Verizon Wireless)

2. Lincoln Police Department honor guard

3. 43rd Army Band

4. Title Star float (BKD LLP)

5. Mayor’s Carriage (Cornhusker Marriott)

6. Lincoln Southeast band

7. Governor’s carriage

8. Alma High band

9. Executive Clowns

10. Lincoln Police Department

11. Tri-County Public Schools band

12. Cookie Monster balloon (Lincoln Journal Star)

13. Lincoln Northeast band

14. Moose Lodge float

15. Whitehead Oil vehicle

16. Lincoln North Star band

17. Star City Sweets

18. Weego

19. Clown Fish balloon (Ameritas)

20. Lincoln High band

21. Lady Zorro and Lacey

22. Lincoln Saltdogs vehicle

23. Beatrice High band

24. Asian Community and Cultural Center

25. Jackson-Hewitt Tax Service vehicle

26. Bancroft-Rosalie band

27. Rudolph and Bugle (Verizon Wireless)

28. Costumed characters (Saint  Elizabeth Regional Medical Center, Cornhusker Bank, Marcus Theatres, US Property, Runza Restaurants and Broadcast House)

29. Papillion-LaVista South band

30. Wells Fargo stagecoach

31. Two Men and a Truck

32. Calliope Clown Alley

33. Deshler High band

34. Duncan Aviation

35. Pius X band

36. Club Kicks

37. Polar Bear float (Farmers Mutual)

38. Costumed characters (Verizon Wireless)

39. Elmo balloon (Union Bank & Trust)

40. Lincoln East band

41. Greater Lincoln Obedience Club and Golden Retriever Rescue

42. Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp. U.S.A. vehicle

43. Lawrence/Nelson Junior-Senior High band

44. Lincoln Fire and Rescue

45. Lincoln Southwest band

46. Sowers Club of Lincoln vehicle

47. Indian Center float

48. Cornhusker Marching Band

49. U.S. Postal Service

50. Santa float (Community Blood Bank)