Fantasy of Lights Christmas Parade Lining Up in Gatlinburg Next Month
Gatlinburg will be celebrating the 48th iteration of the Fantasy of Lights Christmas Parade on December 1st. Everyone loves a parade, and this tourist town, by all accounts, does a fantastic job of organizing and following through on an enjoyable event for all ages. Here are some of the details that might help you plan a visit—and your spot—on the parade route.
Gatlinburg expects a healthy crowd of around 60,000 for this winter-themed festival. It will start by the Baskins Creek Bypass on 321 (East Parkway) in town and run all the way through the downtown area (light #10), featuring floats, bands, balloons, and the man himself, Santa Claus. Of course, no parade is complete without candy being tossed for the kids and kids at heart in the crowd.
The parade is expected to roll at 7:30 on December 1st immediately after the illumination of the Gatlinburg Christmas Tree at the corner of light #3. Starting at 4:30, all 321 (East Parkway) outbound traffic will be single lane, and the inbound lane will shut down at 6:50, but by 7, it will close completely. As always, please be extra cautious of your surroundings, as the floats will be getting set up by the parade participants.
For viewing purposes, there will be two grandstands for this year’s event: One at light #3 and one at the Gatlinburg Convention and Visitors Bureau. Seating at both will begin at 5:30. No strollers are allowed in the grandstand, and you may have one child on your lap under the age of 5 without a ticket purchase.
Setting up chairs will be at your own risk. Every year people seek out a spot on the route by reserving their own area early in the day, so keep this fact in mind if you don’t have a grandstand seat. You can purchase a grandstand seat in the link here.
Will you be one of the 60,000 in attendance for the Christmas parade? I have never been here for this event, but I will likely be around, either at work or wandering town. I hope you all enjoy the spirit of the season’s grand event in Gatlinburg, if you’ll be here!
Thank you for reading and subscribing to my publication! I have a three month update on living in Gatlinburg upcoming, so if you’re interested in following our livelihood here, I would greatly appreciate having you as a paid subscriber, but again, it is totally understandable and fine if you’re not interested. You can still follow the latest news, reviews, and more that I’ll bring to you via email when you sign up for a free pass. Thanks again, and stay tuned!
We had grandstand seats one year. It was a fun experience.