Thanksgiving has come and gone, and now it’s finally the Christmas season! Nothing says Christmas like a parade complete with an appearance from Santa Claus, so with that in mind, Middle Tennessee gears up with Christmas parades planned all over the area as early as Saturday, December 3.
According to history, the Christmas parade is a direct descendant of late Medieval and Renaissance revivals of Roman Triumphs, which had music and banners, wagons filled with the spoils of war, and climaxed with the dux riding in a chariot, preferably drawn by two horses, and thus called the biga. This has evolved into the highlight with Santa in his sleigh, drawn by eight reindeer (an octigia). Roman Triumphs were themselves consciously modeled on ceremonies honoring the gods. Similarly, a Santa Claus parade directly corresponds to the modern triumphal entry of Santa Claus.
Here are some of the local parades planned:
Clarksville
- Saturday, December 3
- 5:00 p.m.
- Route: Starts on APSU campus on 8th Street to College Street to University and then around Public Square, the Historic Courthouse and then Franklin Street and ends back on APSU campus
Dickson
- Saturday, December 17
- 6:00 p.m.
- Route: Begins at Dickson County High School to normal route ends at Middle School
Donelson
- Saturday, December 3
- 2:00 p.m.
- Route: Starts at Elm Hill Pk. and Donelson Pk. intersection heads north to Donelson Station WeGo Star parking lot
Franklin
- Friday, December 2
- 7:00 p.m.
- Route: Fourth Avenue and Main Street
Gallatin
- Saturday, December 10
- 12:00 p.m.
- Route: Starts on Steam Plant Road to Hartsville Pk. then down Main Street, Broadway and ends at Gallatin High School
Goodlettsville
- Saturday, December 3
- 4:00 p.m.
- Route: Starts at Delmas Long Community Center continues on Memorial Drive turns right onto Main Street and ends at Goodlettsville Plaza
Hendersonville
- Sunday, December 4
- 1:00 p.m.
- Route: Johnny Cash parkway to Memorial Park
La Vergne
- Saturday, December 3
- Parade of Lights at 5:00 p.m.
- Route: City Hall to Veterans Memorial Park
Mt. Juliet
- Saturday, December 10
- 11:00 a.m.
- Route: Mt. Juliet League off of Lebanon Rd. to East Division Street off of N. Mt. Juliet Rd.
Murfreesboro
- Sunday, December 11
- 2:00 p.m.
- Route: Starts at MTSU on Main Street and ends at Historic Downtown Square
For a more complete list, click here:
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