CHRISTMAS PARADE CANCELED
After reviewing road conditions and consulting with the Lexington Police Department and the city’s Department of Public Works, we made the difficult decision to cancel the 2025 Lexington Christmas Parade on Friday, December 5. Please keep reading for a note from our leadership:
As the executive director and president of Main Street Lexington, we wanted to share more details about our cancellation of the Lexington Christmas Parade on Friday.
Please know that we did not make this decision lightly. However, after consulting with our parade committee volunteers and representatives from the Lexington Police Department and the Department of Public Works, we felt like the combination of snow on the ground and the Friday evening forecast (with temperatures hovering around freezing, and the possibility of more light snow or drizzle) created unsafe conditions for both our participants and our attendees. Additionally, large portions of our parade staging area near Maury River Middle School were unusable, despite the great work of DPW and the assistance of Rockbridge County Public Schools.
Unfortunately, moving the parade to a different date was not a viable option. Large events that involve street closures require formal approval from Lexington City Council, which must be procured well in advance. And that’s just one of many factors; our parade also involves extensive coordination with city staff, our amazing team of volunteers, the Virginia Horse Center, and numerous other organizations from our supportive community. We also want to be respectful of the parades and other holiday events around Lexington and Rockbridge County. That being said, we are going to explore the feasibility of a “snow date” going forward.
None of this changes the fact that many community organizations, school groups, churches, businesses, and others put considerable time and effort into designing floats and rehearsing performances. We are deeply regretful that we could not showcase these wonderful entries in 2025, and that our community was unable to take part in this beloved annual tradition. We understand and share in your disappointment.
Thank you all for your continued support of our nonprofit organization. We look forward to regrouping and putting on a great parade in 2026.
All parade participants will receive an email during the week of December 8 about processing a refund for your entry. Please direct all other questions to us at [email protected].
On behalf of the MSL board and staff, we wish you all a Merry Christmas and a joyous holiday season.
Jeremy Franklin, Executive Director
and John Morman, 2025-26 President
Main Street Lexington
As the executive director and president of Main Street Lexington, we wanted to share more details about our cancellation of the Lexington Christmas Parade on Friday.
Please know that we did not make this decision lightly. However, after consulting with our parade committee volunteers and representatives from the Lexington Police Department and the Department of Public Works, we felt like the combination of snow on the ground and the Friday evening forecast (with temperatures hovering around freezing, and the possibility of more light snow or drizzle) created unsafe conditions for both our participants and our attendees. Additionally, large portions of our parade staging area near Maury River Middle School were unusable, despite the great work of DPW and the assistance of Rockbridge County Public Schools.
Unfortunately, moving the parade to a different date was not a viable option. Large events that involve street closures require formal approval from Lexington City Council, which must be procured well in advance. And that’s just one of many factors; our parade also involves extensive coordination with city staff, our amazing team of volunteers, the Virginia Horse Center, and numerous other organizations from our supportive community. We also want to be respectful of the parades and other holiday events around Lexington and Rockbridge County. That being said, we are going to explore the feasibility of a “snow date” going forward.
None of this changes the fact that many community organizations, school groups, churches, businesses, and others put considerable time and effort into designing floats and rehearsing performances. We are deeply regretful that we could not showcase these wonderful entries in 2025, and that our community was unable to take part in this beloved annual tradition. We understand and share in your disappointment.
Thank you all for your continued support of our nonprofit organization. We look forward to regrouping and putting on a great parade in 2026.
All parade participants will receive an email during the week of December 8 about processing a refund for your entry. Please direct all other questions to us at [email protected].
On behalf of the MSL board and staff, we wish you all a Merry Christmas and a joyous holiday season.
Jeremy Franklin, Executive Director
and John Morman, 2025-26 President
Main Street Lexington
LEXINGTON CHRISTMAS PARADE
Friday, December 5 • 6:00 PM
“A Storybook Christmas”
Sponsored by:
“A Storybook Christmas”
Sponsored by:
rules and regulations
- All parade applications must be received by 5 p.m. on Friday, November 28. A discount fee for Early Registration (on or before Friday, November 21) is available. See application for details.
- For safety reasons, all instructions of both the parade marshals and the Lexington Police Department must be obeyed.
- REMEMBER: All entries MUST make some effort to decorate to the 2025 parade theme: A Storybook Christmas. This includes vehicle entries such as antique cars or trucks.
- Please indicate on the application if your group wants to be judged, if an appropriate category exists. Direct your performance accordingly. All performance groups and marching bands are limited to a two (2) minute timed stop. Stop to perform in front of Hess & Co. Jewelers (the building after The Gin Hotel). Those who don’t adhere to the time limit will not be judged and will be asked to move on. It is important to keep the parade moving in a timely manner. Categories are Best Band, Best Float, Best Vehicle, Best Performance, and Best Representation of the Theme. We will also have a special event sponsor award this year!
- Here are the safety requirements for all floats that will carry children:
- Floats with children 12 and under will be required to have supervision by an adult.
- Floats with children 5-12 years of age need 1 adult for every 5 children.
- Floats with children under the age of 5 need 1 adult for every 2 children.
- Stand and sit on elevated elements of your float at your own risk.
- NO candy may be thrown from the floats. Candy may be distributed by walkers.
- Please work with your group for post-parade pickup! All entries must go to the end of the parade route before they let people on or off, disband, or get into other vehicles. No "on and off" is allowed during the parade, and all entries must remove their vehicle from Main Street before dismantling any decorations. Do NOT attempt to loop your vehicle onto Jefferson Street while the parade is ongoing.
- Street parking for participant pickup is available along North Main Street (around Foster Stadium at VMI). For floats, we recommend that you turn onto Diamond Street and disembark by Lylburn Downing Middle School. You may also return to Maury River Middle School. Please consult the End Route map below for more details.
- THE SANTA ‘CLAUSE’: It is very confusing to small children to see multiple Santa and Mrs. Clauses riding on floats. Our Santa rides on his float at the end of the parade. Please do not put Santa on your float, in the cab, or anywhere else.
- ALL animal groups are responsible for their own animal waste cleanup.
- Information on lineup, parking, children drop-off, and other parade preparations will be sent to you via email on Tuesday, December 2. PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOUR APPLICATION CONTAINS AN ACCURATE EMAIL ADDRESS.
- Inclement Weather Policy: In case of very inclement weather, the parade will be canceled. Look for announcements after 2:00 PM on the day of the parade on 3WZ 96.7, mainstreetlexington.org, and the MSL Facebook page. The parade will only be canceled in the case of extreme weather!
PARADE MAPs & LINEUP
Parade Route
View the general parade route below.
End Route (return to MRMS)
Please use this route if you need to return your entry to the Maury River Middle School parking lot.
