The Star City Parade will have to “Unwrap the Joy’’ without 14 bands that have bowed out because of the frigid forecast.    

On Friday, parade officials were scrambling to adjust the timing for TV and radio scripts, and to find a way to acknowledge corporate sponsors who helped pay for the bands that won’t be there.

And they’re worried the lack of bands — including those from six Lincoln public high schools and Pius X — will hurt attendance.

On the other hand, with highs forecast in the mid-20s and a chance of snow, a shorter parade might not be such a bad thing, said Deb Johnson, executive director of the Updowntowners.

“Now we will obviously have a shorter parade, which is probably OK.”

And she had her own prediction, the cold notwithstanding: The 21st Annual Star City Parade will still be great.  Thirty-nine entries, including floats and balloons, will still participate.

“It’s going to be cold but people can bring blankets, they can bring chairs, they can dress up in their snowsuits and have fun with it,’’ Johnson said. “It’s going to be a great day and we want people to come and support it.’’

School officials in Lincoln and around the state, however, were dissuaded by the forecast.

“It was a student safety issue and we regret our kids will miss this because it’s a learning opportunity for them as well,’’ said Dennis Van Horn, LPS associate superintendent for business affairs. “It’s a lost instructional opportunity for us but we have to weigh students’ safety and that’s our No. 1 concern.’’

The National Weather Service predicted clouds, a 40 percent chance of snow and highs in the mid-20s today, with north winds blowing 10 to 15 mph.

And at 11 a.m., when the show is set to begin?

“It looks like the lower 20s in Lincoln,’’ said Dave Fobert with the National Weather Service.

As of Friday afternoon, six of the 20 bands who had entered the parade were still planning to play, Johnson said. 

Those include: the 43rd Army Band, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Cornhusker Marching Band, Alma Public Schools, Deshler Public Schools, Parkview Christian and Beatrice Senior High.

Bands that pulled out because of the weather: Lincoln’s six public high schools and Pius X, Papillion-LaVista, Palmyra, York, Bancroft-Rosalie Community Schools, Pawnee City and Lawrence-Nelson (South Central Unifed System). Grand Island Central Catholic School, which had to reschedule tournaments because of an earlier snow, let parade official know earlier its band couldn’t participate.

Southwest High School’s cheerleaders and auxiliary units will still participate.

Johnson said she was planning to e-mail other schools to say parade officials would try to accommodate any other such groups that wanted to stay in.

“If people want to join in, we’ll make it work,’’ she said.

Over the last 20 years, temperatures during parade time ranged from 63 degrees in 1995 to near freezing temperatures in 1986 to 35 degrees with a wind chill factor of 9 degrees below in 1989, according to newspaper records.

In 1992, school officials, including those in Lincoln, considered pulling out because of the temperatures. In the end, all Lincoln bands braved the cold, although five bands from smaller communities decided against it.

LPS’ Van Horn acknowledged Lincoln students may have braved the cold before, but officials have to look at the situation each year and decide what’s best.

“Anybody who’s ever played a band instrument and has marched, any time it’s below 30 degrees, the instruments don’t work properly,’’ said East High Marching Band Director Lance Nielsen.

And band uniforms, no matter how many clothes are layered underneath, are not the same as a winter coat, he said — especially when the kids are outside for two hours.

Even so, the Alma High School band will make the three-hour trip to Lincoln, cold weather be damned.

“Our kids look forward to this. I know it’s been cold before when they’ve participated,’’ said Alma High School Principal Paul Joseph. “It’s kind of a highlight for our band.  So I guess that’s one of the reasons we’re so dedicated.’’

Reach Margaret Reist at 473-7226 or mreist@journalstar.com.