Christmas Celebration Application

Event Details

Parade Date: Saturday, December 7th, 2024                  

Parade Theme: Christmas Lights & Winter Nights

Staging Location: Wytheville Community College Parking Lots          

Line-Up Time: Starts at 4:30pm. To be judged for an award, you must be lined up by 5:00pm. No parade vehicles will be permitted after 5:30pm

Parade Time: 6:00pm

Parade Route: Go directly to your assigned location provided on the map sent to you. Do not line up before 4:30pm. Head of parade will leave from 11th Street, westbound on Main Street. Right onto North 4th Street.

For security reasons, only parade entries that have been pre-approved by the Parade Committee will be permitted to enter the Christmas Parade. Please note that you are not accepted into the parade until you receive an acceptance letter or email from the Parade Committee after the application deadline. This can take up to a week.

All entries must conform to the guidelines attached. The Parade Committee reserves the right to accept or deny any application for entry. There is a limit to the number of entries permitted in each category. Unregistered or unaccepted floats or entries will NOT be permitted to participate in the Christmas Parade.

2024 Christmas Parade Entry Guidelines

Entries MUST adhere to these guidelines in order to be considered for parade participation. Failure to adhere to these guidelines could result in future year’s applications being denied.

  • There is a limit on the number of entries permitted per category. Preference will be given based on quality of theme and presence of an actual float.

  • Entries must observe all rules and regulations and follow instructions from police and parade staff/volunteers. Downtown Wytheville Incorporated, the Parade Committee, and all affiliated parade staff/volunteers hold no liability whatsoever for damages or injury incurred as a result of participation in the Christmas Parade.

  • No Santas are allowed in ANY entry (The one and only Santa will be closing the parade in a Wytheville Fire Truck).

  • All entries must decorate their vehicles/floats or be relevant to the Christmas Parade theme. Entries should try to fit the theme of “Christmas Lights & Winter Nights”.

  • Only two commercial vehicles per business will be allowed.

  • No race cars, 4-wheelers, or ATVs. Only tagged vehicles.

  • All vehicle drivers must hold a current license appropriate to their vehicle.

  • If you start the parade in a vehicle, you must finish the parade in the vehicle. Do not start walking in the middle of the parade route.

  • No individual animals will be allowed this year due to insurance and liability purposes. Only the Town of Wytheville’s Town Council horse and carriage is permitted.

  • Entries should be family-friendly: no profanity, obscenity, or otherwise inappropriate signage or depictions will be permitted.

  • No materials of any sort can be thrown from parade floats or vehicles. Entries may include walking participants who may hand out wrapped candy or toys to spectators. You will be removed from the parade if you throw candy or other objects.

  • The parade tear-down zone is from 6th Street to 12th Street so please plan for participants to leave from this zone instead of returning to the Roses Parking Lot.

  • Brochures, leaflets, tracts, or any other type of literature must be pre-approved by the Parade Committee and included as part of the entry application.

  • With the exception of sworn law enforcement officials, firearms/weapons are strictly prohibited. This includes prop/replica/costume firearms and weaponry.

  • Violations of any rule may result in the immediate removal and subsequent ban of the entrant.

  • Entrants not pre-approved by the Parade Committee will not be permitted to participate in the Christmas Parade and will be turned away by parade officials.

  • The following will NOT be considered acceptable entries and will not be approved for parade participation:

    • Entries with a float that is not in keeping with the theme or is not relevant to a holiday-themed event

      • This is a Christmas parade; all entries and floats must be Christmas-related and or decorated to the theme of the parade. Entries that do not meet these criteria, will not be permitted.

    • Political ads or floats/entries that endorse a candidate or political platform (elected officials may participate)

      • This is a positive holiday event meant to bring the community together, and as such, this is not a platform for divisive political statements or hate speech. Any entries displaying this will be denied in their application or removed during the lineup.

Categories: Youth/Civic Group, Religious, Commercial, Antique Vehicles, Pageant Winner, Marching Band, Walking Characters, Other. Please note when signing up on the form below.

Awards and recognition will be given in the following categories: Civic, Commercial, Religious, and Best in Show. Floats will be judged BEFORE the parade and winners recognized during the parade. To qualify, floats must be prepared and lined up by 5:00pm. If your float is chosen as a winner of a particular category, you must provide 2 walkers to carry the winning banner in the parade.

 

Application Form

The deadline for parade entries was December 4th.