If you've watched the Blount County Jaycees Christmas Parade from the same spot near the Maryville Municipal Building for years, where do you stand this time?
This year, the parade won't pass you. The Blount County Jaycees have changed the 2026 route. The parade still comes through Alcoa and down Broadway. Now it turns left beside McCammon-Ammons Funeral Home, near Amburn's Market, takes Cates Street, and ends on East Church Avenue behind CBBC Bank. The Jaycees' parade page says it plainly: "The parade will no longer continue in front of the Maryville Municipal Building." Organizers say the change will improve traffic flow and safety for participants, spectators, and drivers.
So the Maryville part of the parade is shorter. Nearly all of it runs along Broadway, and then a short leg on Cates Street and East Church Avenue finishes it off. That matters on Dec. 12. It also ties the parade to the rest of the season, which starts two weeks earlier on the same street.
The 2026 Route, Leg by Leg
The parade is Saturday, Dec. 12. Lineup starts at 9 a.m. and the parade steps off at 11 a.m. This year's theme is "The Reason for the Season." The rain date is Sunday, Dec. 13, at 3 p.m.
Here is the route as the organizers describe it:
- Entries line up on Rankin Street and Joule Street in Alcoa.
- The parade crosses Calderwood Street into New Midland Plaza Shopping Center, goes through the lot, and comes out at Gill Street.
- It turns right onto Calderwood Street and heads into Maryville on North Cusick Street.
- It turns right onto Broadway Avenue.
- It turns left beside McCammon-Ammons Funeral Home, near Amburn's Market, onto Cates Street.
- It ends on East Church Avenue, behind CBBC Bank.
Steps one through four haven't changed. Only the downtown Maryville finish has.
What the Shorter Finish Changes on Parade Morning
The new end point affects more than where the floats stop. Several of the parade's rules depend on it.
- Candy stops at the end point. Entries may hand out candy along the route, but they have to stop before the end near Amburn's Market. Anyone standing past that point won't get any.
- Side streets close. Every side street that connects to the route is closed to traffic while the parade runs.
- Broadway parking lots are blocked for a while. You can't get into or out of lots on the route while the parade is passing. Businesses with entrances right on the route may also be hard to reach. If you park in one of those lots, you'll stay put until the last entry goes by.
- Sidewalks are where to watch. Organizers ask spectators to watch from sidewalks along the route.
Two more dates help you plan. The official lineup will be printed in The Daily Times by Friday, Dec. 11, so you can see when a particular band, church, or club entry should reach your spot. If the weather turns, organizers will decide by 10 a.m. on parade day and post the decision on Facebook. You can also call (865) 973-9945 for updates.
If your group wants to be in the parade rather than watch it, there's still time. Online applications are open until Monday, Nov. 30. Entries received after the Nov. 1 early deadline pay a $20 late fee, and every entry must have Christmas decorations of some kind.
Broadway Starts the Season Two Weeks Earlier
The new route puts the parade on Broadway, and Broadway is also where Maryville's holiday season begins. The City of Maryville tree lighting is Saturday, Nov. 28, at about 5:30 p.m. at the Maryville Parking Garage on Broadway. It closes out the downtown Holiday Market that day, and it's free.
So the season opens and closes on the same street. The Saturday after Thanksgiving fills Broadway with market shoppers who stay for the lighting. Two weeks later, the parade comes down that same stretch, then turns onto Cates Street and finishes on East Church Avenue. The Downtown Maryville Alliance, led by executive director Amanda Gillooly, is the downtown group behind much of the past three years of change there. Gillooly told WATE in October that the area "has changed significantly."
The Maryville-Alcoa-Blount Parks & Recreation Commission runs the other dates under its Hometown Christmas banner. Each one is somewhere else in the two cities, which keeps Broadway free for the market and parade weekends.
| Date | Event | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Nov. 28 | Downtown Maryville Holiday Market and City of Maryville Tree Lighting | Lighting about 5:30 p.m. | Maryville Parking Garage on Broadway |
| Mon., Nov. 30 | City of Alcoa Tree Lighting | Food trucks and craft vendors 4 p.m., lighting 6 p.m. | Springbrook Corporate Center pedestrian bridge, 223 Associates Blvd., Alcoa |
| Thu., Dec. 3 | Blount County Festival of Trees opening | Tree lighting 6:30 p.m. | Blount County Courthouse lawn, 345 Court St. |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | H.O.M.E. for the Holidays | Tree lighting 6 p.m. | MLK Jr. Community Center, 209 E. Franklin St., Alcoa |
| Sat., Dec. 12 | Blount County Jaycees Christmas Parade | 11 a.m. | Alcoa to downtown Maryville, ending on East Church Avenue |
A few details from the Parks & Rec listings:
- Alcoa's lighting is free and has music, refreshments, and Santa after the ceremony. Because vendors open at 4 p.m., it works for a Monday right after work.
- The Festival of Trees fills the courthouse lawn with live Christmas trees in all sizes, colors, and themes. It stays up for the month, so you can drive by or walk through. Opening night has entertainment, refreshments, and Santa. The deadline to enter a tree was Nov. 6.
- H.O.M.E. for the Holidays is the yearly kickoff from Hall-Oldfield-Maryville Empowerment and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center. Families who want to put a tree in the lower field have until Nov. 28.
Evenings Indoors at the Clayton Center
Between the outdoor lightings, several holiday shows are booked at the Ronald and Lynda Nutt Theatre, 502 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway. They're a good choice for a cold weeknight or for out-of-town guests.
- "A Highland Christmas," Tuesday, Dec. 1, 7 to 9 p.m. Maryville College brings its choral ensembles together with the Rich Mountain Celtic Band.
- Mission of Hope's "Keyboards at Christmas," Saturday, Dec. 5, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 6, at 3 p.m. The Clayton Center lists both shows. If you go Saturday, you could catch the 6 p.m. H.O.M.E. lighting in Alcoa first and still make the show.
- "A Celtic Christmas by A Taste of Ireland," Sunday, Dec. 20, at 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. This Clayton Center show comes the weekend after the parade, when the rest of the calendar has finished.
Where to Eat Before or After
Both downtown Saturdays mean crowds and blocked lots for a while. Eating within walking distance of Broadway makes the timing easier. Two downtown places that weren't open last holiday season are open now. In early October, WATE reported that two of the downtown businesses opened in recent months were The Armory, an entertainment venue at 496 Ellis Ave., and Pinchy's Lobster and Raw Bar, a seafood restaurant at 508 High St. Wells Tavern, which opened Sept. 19, gives you somewhere to go after the Nov. 28 lighting. We wrote about it and the other fall openings in our look at downtown Maryville's evenings.
If you're picking a parade spot, start with the new end point. The floats now leave Broadway beside McCammon-Ammons near Amburn's Market. Anywhere on Broadway before that turn still sees the whole parade, and any sidewalk past it stays empty. For more on the area, see our Maryville neighborhood page.
Do you live on or near one of these downtown streets and want to know what your home is worth after a year of new openings around Broadway? Pam Owen is happy to talk it through over coffee downtown, with no pressure. Start with a free home valuation and we'll go from there.
