Blue Ridge Christmas parade 2026: time, route and where to watch

The Blue Ridge, Georgia Christmas parade is part of Light Up Blue Ridge. It starts at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 28, 2026, at the corner of Church Street and East Main. Watching is free and you do not need tickets. All cars must be off East and West Main by 4 p.m.

The time and route come from the organizer’s parade page and home page as of October 17, 2026. Dates can change; confirm with Light Up Blue Ridge before parade day.

The route

According to Light Up Blue Ridge, the parade runs down East Main Street from Church Street to Mountain Street, turns down Mountain Street and comes back along West Main. The organizer’s two pages disagree about where the return leg ends (one says Depot Street, the other Church Street), so we are not naming a finish point. Plan on it returning along West Main.

No 2026 route map has been posted. The map the Chamber links is the 2024 one. Our map below draws the route as the organizer describes it.

Parade night timing

• 4 p.m. All cars off East and West Main Street.
• 5 p.m. Parade entrants must be in line.
• 5:26 p.m. Sunset (U.S. Naval Observatory), so the parade starts just after dark.
• 5:30 p.m. Step-off at Church Street and East Main.
• About 6:30 to 6:45 p.m. Caroling around the tree.
• About 7 p.m. The Great Tree is lit, as close to 7 as the parade’s length allows.

Santa rides at the end. The organizer’s rules say the only Santa in the parade is the one at the end, which is why Santa’s afternoon photo line in the downtown park closes by 4:30 p.m.

Where to watch

The organizer does not publish recommended viewing spots or reserved seating. The route covers East Main, Mountain Street and West Main, so you can pick a spot anywhere along it. The start corner at Church Street and East Main is the one fixed point every source agrees on. Main Street parking is limited to three hours and the street closes to cars at 4 p.m., so park before then; our parking and crowds guide has the details. Dress for the cold: NOAA’s November normal low at Blairsville, the nearest long-term station, is 33.3°F, and our weather page has the December numbers.

Want to be in the parade?

The organizer’s entry rules, from the parade page:

• No reservation is needed. Entrants show up and get in line.
• Dignitaries line up at East Main and Church Streets. Everyone else lines up at East Main and Summit.
• Be in line by 5 p.m. so the parade can start at 5:30.
• No Santa costumes on entries.
• No candy thrown from floats. Walkers may hand candy out hand to hand.
• Lights on floats are encouraged, or flashlights for riders.
• Alcohol and controlled substances are forbidden.

A second parade: McCaysville & Copperhill, December 5

A week later there is a second Christmas parade in McCaysville and Copperhill. It is a separate event, hosted by the Copperhill Kiwanis Club rather than the Light Up committee. The Fannin County Chamber lists it for Saturday, December 5, 2026, with float judging at noon and the parade at 2 p.m. Line-up is next to McCaysville City Park (Toccoa River Park), entrants are asked to hand out candy rather than toss it, and the rain date is Saturday, December 12. A Chamber roundup lists the parade as noon to 2 p.m., but the event listing says the parade itself starts at 2 p.m., so we use 2 p.m.

McCaysville is in Georgia and Copperhill is in Tennessee. The painted Blue Line marks the state line between them.

More for parade day

The full Saturday schedule, from 11 a.m. entertainment to the tree lighting, is on our Light Up Blue Ridge page. For an hour-by-hour plan, read Light Up Saturday hour by hour.

Questions people ask