Electric Light Parade

The Electric Light Parade welcomes the holiday season in the capital city with lighted floats and the arrival of Santa. The Electric Light Parade steps off at 6 p.m. at the corner of Lenawee Street and South Washington Square. More than 60 units and several high school marching bands will sparkle with thousands of lights as they make their way through the streets of downtown Lansing.

Best Illunimated Band Awards

The participating high school marching bands will compete for the Best Illuminated Band awards during the parade. Awards are given in two categories: large band and small band. The high school bands that are most well-lit in each category will win $500 courtesy of the Lansing Board of Water and Light and a $500 gift card to Marshall Music, courtesy of Marshall Music.

2024 Electric Light Parade Grand Marshal: Jayci Simon

Silver Bells and silver medals. What could be a better pair? The Grand Marshal of this year’s Electric Light Parade, the centerpiece of Lansing’s annual Silver Bells in the City holiday extravaganza, now in its 40th year, brings the two together nicely

Nineteen-year-old Jayci Simon, of St. Johns, Mich. — along with partner Miles Krajewski, of Yankton, S.D. — became the first American ever to medal in Paralympic badminton at the Summer Games in Paris this year. Simon and Krajewski grabbed the silver in the SH6 mixed doubles bracket for short stature athletes, taking down some of the best teams in the world. Facing a highly experienced Chinese team of 30-plus-year-olds Naili Lin and Fengmei Li in the finals, Simon and Krajewski went all-out for the ultimate upset but fell just shy.

Simon has rightfully been the subject of much local acclaim. She featured prominently in this year’s St. Johns High School homecoming parade and will be feted by Lansing Community College, where she is currently a sophomore, with a parade and ceremony on Oct. 28. Her international success and indomitable spirit make her the perfect Grand Marshal for this year’s Silver Bells Electric Light Parade.

Simon, daughter of Chad and Amy Simon, was born with acromicric dysplasia, an extremely rare skeletal condition with only around 60 cases reported worldwide. The condition is characterized by delayed bone maturation leading to dwarfism. She stands in at just 3-feet, 9 ¾-inches tall, but has never been one to think small. Simon has always set sturdy goals for herself, explaining before her first match in Paris her philosophy that, “No dream is ever too big.”

Simon has always been athletic, competing in a variety of sports growing up. She has always had a special place in her heart for soccer, and her passions for the sport, fitness and education have led her to devote some of her free time to coaching at the youth level.

She was exposed to badminton at the age of 11 at a Little People of America sports camp and found that it a perfect match her court speed and assertive disposition. Since then, she’s enjoyed a meteoric rise — despite not having a dedicated coach or facility to train at for most of her career. Even before her star turn in Paris, she was already ranked sixth in the world in her class as a singles player.

Her badminton success has provided Simon with a robust platform for advocacy. Going forward, she hopes to be a visible ambassador for dwarfism, badminton and general health and wellness initiatives, with her own extraordinary experience helping to light the way for others — just as the Electric Light Parade ushers in the holiday season.