Stay in downtown Gatlinburg for Festival of Lights Gatlinburg Christmas Parade
Click above for the Gatlinburg Christmas Parade Poster. Compliments of the Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce.
One of the most popular annual Gatlinburg events is the Festival of Lights Gatlinburg Christmas Parade. Floats, marching, miles of lights, music – truly a spirited dose of holiday cheer. Meet us there at 7:30pm!
Stays in Downtown Gatlinburg
As the Gatlinburg Christmas Parade gets set up they will line up on the East Parkway, Hwy 321E, above traffic light #3 in downtown Gatlinburg and once the parade starts you will not be able to cross the Parkway while the parade is going. Plan to get your car parked in front of your room at the Baskins Creek Nestle Inn by 6:30 -7pm so that you can walk downtown and get a good spot around Traffic #6 to view the parade from. Baskins Creek Nestle Inn is just a 5 minute walk to the center of downtown Gatlinburg at Light #6 by Ripley’s Aquarium. Also plan on a little extra traffic – the Gatlinburg Christmas Parade is very popular with visitors and local residents alike.
Click the picture of the poster if you’d like to print out a larger copy of the poster.
The following information was provide to all Gatlinburg Chamber member (we are proud to be a member – they really do a great job promoting Gatlinburg). See additional pictures on Gatlinburg.com website.
Pictures of past Gatlinburg Christmas Parades – Don’t miss the fun this year!
Christmas Parade will showcase Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort
The 37th annual Fantasy of Lights Gatlinburg Christmas Parade will showcase one of the City’s largest and best known attraction families, Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort, Aerial Tramway and Amusement Park, which is celebrating its 50th season.
Actress Catherine Bach, also known as Daisy Duke from the Dukes of Hazard, and local skiing legend Rolf Lanz will serve as the parade’s Grand Marshals as it travels through downtown Gatlinburg on Friday, December 7 starting at 7:30 p.m. to the cheers of an anticipated crowd of more than 70,000 spectators. She will be signing autographs at Cooters on the Parkway in downtown Gatlinburg
Ober Gatlinburg has attracted millions of visitors over its 50 years with its tramway, ice skating rink, alpine slide, scenic chairlift, Wildlife Encounter, amusement and water rides, Amazin’ Maze and carousel to supplement wintertime skiing, snowboarding and snowtubing.
Distinguished entries in this year’s parade include two pink fire trucks from the Radcliff/Vine Grove, Ky. Fire Department, the Guardians of the Ribbons as well as a talented list of high school marching bands.
Winter Wonderland at the Carousel provides visitors with the opportunity to meet Santa and take photos in the hours leading up to the parade. Lots of sweet treats will be available the afternoon of the parade at Carousel Mall in the midst of the main viewing area for the parade at Traffic Light #3 on parade day.
The parade excitement for young and old also includes more than 100 parade entries, marching bands from Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, and Alabama, and large balloons taking to the streets.
Gatlinburg Christmas Parade Start Time
The Gatlinburg Christmas Parade begins at Traffic Light #1A on Hwy 321 at 7:30 p.m. and ends about an hour-and-a-half later at Traffic Light #10.
Jamming sidewalks and balconies along the parade route, a large crowd will be able to soak up the illuminating glow of Gatlinburg Winter Magic, the City of Gatlinburg’s popular holiday lights program which has received a $1.5 million injection of new displays plus a 100-percent conversion to energy-efficient LED bulbs over the past few years.