Christmas Parade

Spreading Christmas Cheer Through The Years

Since 2010, the Blue Plum Organization has proudly carried on one of Johnson City’s most beloved holiday traditions, taking over management of the Johnson City Christmas Parade from the Johnson City Chamber of Commerce. For more than a decade, our all-volunteer team has worked to spread Christmas cheer and officially kick off the holiday season, bringing families, businesses, organizations, performers, and Santa Claus together along a parade route through the heart of Downtown Johnson City. Year after year, the parade continues to fill downtown with excitement, tradition, and the magic of Christmas.

2026 Johnson City Christmas Parade

The Johnson City Christmas Parade will take place on
Saturday, December 5 at 10:30 a.m.

Applications for parade participation open on October 1 at 10 a.m.
and close November 23 at 5 p.m.

Awards are given to the best decorated floats! Awards are given for:
1st Place, 2nd Place, 3rd Place and Blue Plum Pick (chosen by the BP Board)

Read the rules and information, and apply using the button below!

Parade Information
Click on each of the tabs below to learn more about parade floats, rules and route/staging.

Theme
The theme for the 2026 parade is "Holly Dolly Christmas!" Participants are encouraged to embrace the “Holly Dolly Christmas” theme in creative and festive ways. Entries might celebrate Dolly’s music, her Appalachian roots, the Imagination Library, her love of Christmas, or the many ways she has given back to the region. From Christmas classics and country music to glitter, rhinestones and plenty of holiday sparkle, the parade will celebrate the joyful spirit of Dolly Parton and the Appalachian community she continues to inspire.

Route
Staging at ETSU Lot#9 on the corner of University Parkway & State of Franklin. The parade will travel left onto University Parkway, turn right onto W. State of Franklin, left onto Buffalo Street, right onto E. Main Street, right onto Colonial Way, left onto E. State of Franklin, ending in the Old Burley Lot at the corner of E. State of Franklin and Legion Street. All entries must stay towards the middle of the parade route roads for the safety of spectators.

Staging and Participant Drop Off
Staging for parade is in the ETSU Student Parking Lot #9 beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2026. (Corner of University Parkway & State of Franklin and W. Walnut St. & Gilbreath). The parade will begin at 10:30 a.m. If you are dropping off participants, please park in the lot off of West Maple St. on the campus of ETSU. Please turn off of University Parkway onto W. Maple St.- THIS IS A ONE WAY STREET. Marching band members will line up in the lot between W. Walnut and Lynn St., behind the Roadrunner gas station. All those walking or riding on floats will stage in the parking lot on the corner of W. State of Franklin and University Parkway, across from McDonald's.
Line-up placement information will be emailed to participants by Monday, Nov, 30, 2026.

Rules
Please communicate rules to all members of your parade entry!
Parade rules and information are designed to remind participants that sometimes even the most innocent actions can provoke significant problems in a crowded area. The rules are in place to ensure that we have an orderly, safe and joyful parade.

Entry fee of $95 for For-Profit OR $45 for Non-Profit organizations must be paid online with registration for the parade. Approved marching bands will not pay a fee but do need to register. Parade waiver information is included with payment.
Each vehicle/float per entry will be assessed an entry fee. This includes anyone wanting to register multiple floats.
Floats/vehicles must depict different, fun and/or unique decorating ideas in line with the parade theme. This year’s theme is "Holly Dolly Christmas." FLOATS MUST BE DECORATED ACCORDING TO THE THEME. Floats with purely commercial advertisements and/or branding will NOT be permitted. Your float must be decorated to the parade’s theme (i.e. you cannot enter a car that just says, “Joe’s Business.” Exceptions include classic cards, municipal vehicles and pageant queen cars.
No farm animals are allowed, including horses. Any exceptions must be approved by the Parade Committee.
Marching bands, cheer groups, dance teams, etc. must remain moving along the parade route at all times. You may not stop to perform maneuvers.
Any distribution of candy or other items must be handed out. Candy may not be thrown from floats or vehicles.
PLEASE NO SANTA! Santa has already been contacted, and he will be at the end of the parade. We do not want to confuse the children.
Floats must be under 13 ft. 6 in. in height and under 48 feet in length.
Floats/vehicles and participants may not use any flammable and/or explosive devices and/or materials whatsoever.
No individual political candidate floats.
No motorcycles are allowed.
For organizations entering multiple floats, your ticket quantity must match how many floats/vehicles you are bringing.
Absolutely NO taunting, harmful, inappropriate or inflammatory language or music will be tolerated.
NO REFUNDS WILL BE GIVEN IN THE EVENT OF WEATHER OR ANY CANCELLATIONS/NO SHOWS ON THE PART OF YOUR ORGANIZATION.

The Parade Committee reserves the right to deny entrance to parade for:

Late arrivals.
Entries that do not comply with rules.
Entries deemed inappropriate or unsafe.

Email blueplumdirector@gmail.com with any questions!

Thank You To Our 2025 Parade Sponsors

2025 Parade
"Mountain Rails and Christmas Tales" with Johnson City service dogs as Grand Marshalls

1st Place: Doe River Gorge Ministries, Inc.

3rd Place: Francesco's Concrete and Plumbing

2nd Place: Boy Scout Pack 37