Watertown will not fund annual Christmas parade

Watertown will not hold its annual Christmas parade this year after the City Council decided not to set aside funding for the event, city officials said.

A tree-lighting ceremony in front of City Hall on Washington Street and a visit with Santa are still planned for Dec. 11. City-sponsored parades cost about $10,000 in direct expenses, with additional overtime costs for city staff, according to information presented at the council’s work session.