Fredericksburg Christmas Parade 2019: Parade Route, Schedule

FREDERICKSBURG, VA — One of Fredericksburg's favorite community traditions is almost here. The Fredericksburg Christmas Parade returns Saturday, Dec. 7. A total of 75 groups will be parading down Caroline and Princess Anne streets in downtown Fredericksburg. The main attraction, Santa, will take his position at the rear of the parade.

The parade begins at 5:30 p.m., rain, shine or snow, with thousands of spectators expected to line the downtown streets. Spectators are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets to sit on. Dogs are permitted at the event but are discouraged due to the large crowds. All dogs must be on a leash and extremely crowd-friendly.

From 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., parade participants will start arriving in their designated time slots. The parade can be viewed from the sidewalk on both sides of the street along the one-mile parade route, with the exception of the sidewalk in front of the courthouse site. Designated handicap parking will be available at the VRE drop off lot on Lafayette Blvd. The city parking garage on Sophia Street will be open at a charge of $2 per car.

There will be no parking along the parade route and on some adjacent side streets beginning at 2 p.m. on Dec. 7. There will be signs in place to indicate the restrictions. Police will have vehicles towed at the owners' expense on Saturday afternoon that have not been removed from the street.

Portable restrooms will be available at various locations around the parade route, and permanent facilities will be available at the Fredericksburg Visitor Center and at City Hall. Alcohol consumption will not be allowed. Police will remove anyone found to be drinking alcohol along the parade route. Drones also are prohibited at the parade.

Parking restrictions will begin at 2 p.m. on the following streets in downtown Fredericksburg:

• 300-1000 blocks of Caroline Street
• 100-200 blocks of Amelia Street
• 500-1200 block of Princess Anne Street
• 100-300 blocks of George Street and William Street
• 100-400 blocks of Wolfe St, Charlotte St and Hanover St
• 800 block of Charles Street

The streets listed above will be closed to through traffic starting at 3:30 p.m. The roads will remain closed until city maintenance crews finish cleaning the route. All streets are expected to be open by 9 p.m. The public should expect traffic delays before and after the parade.

Fredericksburg Parks & Recreation is the main point of contact for the parade. They can be reached at 540-372-1086 or at fredchristmasparade@gmail.com.

SEE ALSO:

• Christmas Parade, Tours: Fredericksburg 2019 Holiday Events
• Santa Train Returns To Fredericksburg In 2019: How To Get Tickets
• Fredericksburg Holiday Craft Show