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Lexington Christmas Parade

The DLC and LFUCG have once again teamed up to have one fun-filled day of holiday cheer. The Christmas Parade and the Winter Festival will consist of the tree-lighting ceremony and the Holiday Market for one spectacular event! After shopping all day at the Market and nearby shops, watch the parade go by until finally Santa arrives! He'll stay around for a live show and help Mayor Newberry switch on holiday lights all around Downtown. Bring the whole family for an entire day filled with fun, food, entertainment and more!

Did You Know?...Anybody Can Be In The Parade!

Don’t just watch the Parade…Be IN the Parade! Don’t miss your chance to be a part of this annual Lexington holiday tradition. All individuals, businesses, non-profit organizations, dance teams, bands, groups and clubs are welcome to participate in the parade.

Float entries will be judged and winners will be named for Best Commercial Float, Best Non-Profit Float and Best in Show. The winners will receive a certificate after the parade. Floats must identify the group and vehicles and/or any pulled units must be at least 80% covered to be considered for the contest. All entries are encouraged to put lights on their entry or float to help the streets sparkle!

Entry Fees

The Pet Butler getting ready for the Lexington Christmas Parade $0: Bands and Veteran’s Groups
$25.00: 501c(3) Non-Profit Organization (must provide status as a 501c(3) organization)
$50.00: Standard Entry (Individuals, Clubs or groups or organizations with a classification other than 501c(3))
$200.00: Commercial/Business Entry

Entry fees include optional float, up to 50 participants, and 10 vehicles; however, bands and veteran’s groups are excluded from fees and group size restrictions.

Participants may choose to have a sponsor. If this is the case, please refer to the parade rules and specifications for restrictions on using corporate logos.

Parade Application

The Downtown Lexington Corporation must receive applications, fees, and waiver forms signed by all participants. All participants under the age of 18 must have the waiver signed by a parent or guardian. Mail entry paperwork to:

Downtown Lexington Corporation
P.O. Box 1179
Lexington, KY 40588-1179
Attn: Christmas Parade

If you plan to participate in the parade, download and print out the combined Application and Information document. Please read thoroughly before calling or emailing with any questions.

Download a parade application.

Grand Marshal Nominations

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2009 Lexington Christmas Parade Grand Marshal. The Grand Marshal should exemplify the spirit of the Bluegrass. Previous Grand Marshals have included Lexington Police Chief Anthany Beatty and Michael Blowen, Executive Director of Old Friends Equine.

Download a nomination form.

Nomination forms can be mailed to the DLC at P.O. Box 1179, Lexington, KY 40588, faxed to 859-231-7333 or emailed to laura@downtownlex.com. For more information, call 859-425-2593.

Parade Route

Parade entries will line up along Midland Ave. between Main St. and Third St. The parade route begins at the intersection of Midland Ave. & Main St., travels west on Main St. past Broadway, wraps around Triangle Park to Vine St., and officially ends at the intersection of Vine St. and Broadway.

The Holiday Market and Winter Festival will be held in Triangle Park.

Parking

All LFUCG parking lots and parking garages throughout downtown Lexington will be will be accessible to the public and will provide free parking on the day of the parade. This includes the Annex Garage (enter from MLK Blvd. via High Street), Transit Center (Vine Street just East of Limestone St.), Phoenix Garage (Vine St. just East of Limestone St.), Victorian Square Garage (Short St. at Broadway) and Courthouse Garage (Barr Street between Limestone St. & MLK Blvd.).

All parking meters are free on Friday, November 27th. Many will be bagged as "no parking" for the Parade so be sure to park at a meter that has NOT been bagged.

For detailed information about street parking and area garages, visit the LexPark website. For maps to all parking lots, visit the Central Parking website.

The Schedule

From 2pm - 8pm, visit Triangle Park for the Holiday market. Forty vendors will be selling handmade arts and crafts, and seasonal food and drink will be available for purchase.

Immediately following the Parade, which begins at 5:30pm, there will be approximately 30 minutes of festivities at Triangle Park, located at the corner of Main Street and Broadway. This will include music, live entertainment, food and an appearance by Santa himself! The festivities will lead up to the grand finale: the lights will be turned on simultaneously all around the Downtown area, including the Robert F. Stephens courthouse, Triangle Park, and the KU building.

Let There Be Lights!

Since the event will be held at night, Parade participants and guests alike are encouraged to sparkle! Dress in your finest lightery for this event - glow sticks and glow jewelry, twinkle lights, flashlights and anything that lights up or sparkles! Just no open flames, please!

For any further questions please contact Laura Farnsworth, Event Coordinator at 859-425-2593 or send email to laura@downtownlex.com.