Sponsors, vendors and anyone wishing to participate in the 40th annual Tomball Night parade still have an opportunity to sign up for a designated booth through July 16.

On Aug. 3, Tomball Night will take over the town with retail sales, store discounts, a parade of lights, fireworks and family-friendly entertainment. Admission is free and includes activities at several of the participating stores as well as pony rides, face painting, a cake walk and live music.

"Celebrating 40 years is the theme of the evening," said Rob Greening, chair of Tomball Night. "Everyone knows almost anything goes with this parade; it's all about having fun. We are looking forward to the more than 30 entries this hot August night turns out."

In addition, the event offers several sponsorship packages based on varying donation increments of $100 to $2,500. Sponsor benefits range from a premium display booth in the Downtown Antique District to pre- and post-Tomball Night publicity.

Community members can also show involvement through a $25 and up sponsorship for a downtown booth and a $50 entry into the Parade of Lights.

For businesses wishing to participate in Tomball Night without paying a sponsorship fee, business owners are invited to join in by offering sales and discounts. Bruce Hillegeist, president of the Tomball Chamber of Commerce, said he encourages stores to stay open at later hours to accommodate shoppers for the event. Hillegeist said businesses should contact the Tomball Chamber by July 16 in order to have shopping deals and specials included in public advertisements before the event.

"Supporting your local people helps in many ways because several give back to the community," Hillegeist said. "It also helps with the tax base and brings a better quality of life to the town. We say it's a ripple effect. For weeks afterward, we receive phone calls about people who came to town and inquire about the stores."

The festivities begin at 5 p.m. and are followed by a night parade of 25 floats decorated with lights beginning at 9:15 p.m. on Main Street.

Sponsor, vendor and parade applications are available online at www.tomballchamber.org and at the Tomball Chamber of Commerce office, located at 29201 Quinn Road, Ste. B.