Description
The Asheville Holiday Parade is the Saturday-before-Thanksgiving tradition that opens the holiday season downtown, run by the Asheville Downtown Association and free to watch. The 2026 parade is Saturday, November 21 at 11 AM, and it is the 80th annual edition. The theme is “A Vintage Holiday”: the ADA has asked entrants to borrow from the holidays of the 1940s through the 1970s, so expect vintage cars, 1950s storefront floats, Victorian scenes, tinsel and aluminum trees.
Entries come from local businesses, nonprofits, schools, community groups and performance groups, with decorated floats, vehicles, marching units and costumed walkers. The event is presented by Bojangles. The ADA’s listing blocks out 11 AM to 2 PM for the day; the parade itself has historically run about 90 minutes.
Route and where to stand
The ADA says the 2026 route, schedule and road closures will be announced closer to the date, and we will update this page when they are. In recent years the roughly one-mile route has run up Biltmore Avenue from near Charlotte Street to Pack Square, then along Patton Avenue to finish at French Broad Avenue. Pack Square and the Patton Avenue blocks are the busiest; the Biltmore Avenue stretch south of Pack Square is easier with small children and strollers. Streets close well before the 11 AM start, so arrive early or walk in.
The Winter Window Display Contest
The ADA’s annual storefront window contest shares the parade theme, and downtown shops are asked to have their windows decorated by November 21. Walking the windows after the parade is the easy second half of the day, and the Grove Arcade, Lexington Avenue and Wall Street are the dense stretches.
What is available?
A free, roughly 90-minute downtown parade with floats, vintage vehicles, marching bands and community groups; decorated storefront windows across downtown; restaurants, coffee shops and bars open along the route.
Located inside of: Outdoors, downtown Asheville streets
Special tips for the festival?
It is free and it is cold: bring a blanket or folding chair and a hot drink from one of the downtown coffee shops. Park in a downtown garage early or on the edge of downtown and walk in, because the route streets close hours before the start. Pick a spot with a storefront behind you for a warm-up break. Lunch afterwards is easy on either side of Pack Square: see our cheap eats guide and kid-friendly restaurants.
If you are making a weekend of it, Winter Lights at the NC Arboretum opens the week before and Christmas at Biltmore is already running.
Location: Downtown Asheville, NC 28801 (Pack Square area)
Phone: N/A (Asheville Downtown Association, ashevilledowntown.org)
Opening Hours: Parade starts 11:00 AM (event window 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM)
Dates: Annually, the Saturday before Thanksgiving (2026: Saturday, November 21)
Parking: Downtown garages; route streets close in the morning
Location of the Festival: Downtown Asheville, Biltmore Avenue / Pack Square / Patton Avenue
