The 2026 Blount County Jaycees Christmas Parade turns off Broadway at Cates Street, beside McCammon-Ammons Funeral Home, and ends on East Church Avenue behind CBBC Bank. That is where it stops this year. It no longer continues past the Maryville Municipal Building. The Jaycees describe the change as a way to improve traffic flow and safety for participants, spectators, and motorists.
The shorter finish fits a larger pattern. Most of Maryville's holiday events this year run along one street, from the Holiday Market and tree lighting at the parking garage on Broadway to a group of newer restaurants and bars on East and West Broadway. If you live here, you can plan the whole season around a few blocks of Broadway.
The confirmed 2026 calendar
Every date below is confirmed for 2026 on an official event page.
Date | Event | Where | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
Sat., Nov. 28 | Downtown Holiday Market and City of Maryville tree lighting | Maryville Parking Garage on Broadway | Tree lighting about 5:30 p.m. |
Mon., Nov. 30 | City of Alcoa tree lighting | Pedestrian bridge, Springbrook Corporate Center, 223 Associates Blvd. | Food trucks and craft vendors from 4 p.m., lighting at 6 p.m. |
Tue., Dec. 1 | "A Highland Christmas," Maryville College | Listed on the Clayton Center calendar | 7 p.m. |
Thu., Dec. 3 | Blount County Festival of Trees opening | Blount County Courthouse lawn, 345 Court St. | Tree lighting at 6:30 p.m. |
Tue., Dec. 8 | Liz Longley, "The Holiday Fuss Tour," with The Young Fables | Ronald and Lynda Nutt Theatre | 7:30 to 9 p.m. |
Sat., Dec. 12 | Blount County Jaycees Christmas Parade | Alcoa to downtown Maryville | Starts 11 a.m. |
Sun., Dec. 20 | "A Celtic Christmas by A Taste of Ireland" | Ronald and Lynda Nutt Theatre | 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. |
Two of these events take place on Broadway, the parade and the market. The Festival of Trees is a short walk away at the courthouse. The Alcoa lighting, two nights after Maryville's, is the one event that pulls the season across the city line.
The Saturday after Thanksgiving
The season starts Nov. 28 with the downtown Holiday Market, and the City of Maryville's tree lighting closes the day at about 5:30 p.m. at the Maryville Parking Garage on Broadway. Parks & Recreation lists it as free and says more details are coming.
The city's listing doesn't give hours for the market itself. One participating vendor, Naturally Rustic Soaps & Salts, lists its market appearance inside White Star Station at 133 E. Broadway, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. That matches last year's format. The Daily Times described the 2025 market as running 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Broadway, with roughly 150 juried artisan booths, food vendors, and children's activities, plus a new indoor space at The Landmark. Treat the 2025 layout as a likely guide, not a promise for this year.
The tree lighting at dusk sets up the rest of the day, and dinner comes after it. Downtown now has more places to go for dinner than it did a year ago.
Who moved onto Broadway since last December
In an Oct. 5 report from WATE, Amanda Gillooly, executive director of the Downtown Maryville Alliance, said the area has changed a lot over the past three years:
"All of these businesses are just starting to open up. All of that construction is finishing up. Everything is finally getting settled."
WATE named The Raven, The Armory, REO Cheesewagon, and Pinchy's among the recent openings, along with Wells Tavern, which opened Sept. 19. Gillooly also told the station that a Downtown Improvement Grant has paid for facade work on 12 properties. Most of the new places sit on Broadway itself:
- Wells Tavern, 114 E. Broadway. A Scottish-inspired pub serving shepherd's pie, fish and chips, and a banger burger. It pours Scottish and English ales, local beers, ciders, and whisky, and has a rooftop patio and a covered stage for live music.
- Raven Steakhouse & Lounge, 211 W. Broadway. USDA Prime steak plus seafood. The dining room is reservation-only and the lounge takes walk-ins.
- REO Cheesewagon, 429 W. Broadway Ave. A grilled-cheese café open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.
Two more are a few blocks off the main street:
- Pinchy's Lobster and Raw Bar, 508 High St. New England seafood favorites, raw oysters, sushi, and craft cocktails, with live music Thursday through Sunday, weather permitting.
- The Armory, 496 Ellis Ave. Duckpin bowling, digital darts, shuffleboard, pinball, bocce, and VR, with food and drinks. The Blount County Chamber held its ribbon-cutting on Sept. 3.
Wells Tavern owner Alice Basler explained the gap she meant to fill in terms that suit a holiday Saturday. "We've got so many good high-end restaurants that this is just a great addition to, hey, we go out to dinner, and then let's go have a drink," she told WATE. On market day, that could look like dinner at Raven after the 5:30 tree lighting, then a drink at Wells Tavern a few blocks east, with no need to move the car.
Parade Saturday, with the new finish
The Dec. 12 parade keeps its usual Alcoa start. Entries stage along Rankin Street and Joule Street, pass through New Midland Plaza Shopping Center, and exit onto Calderwood Street. The parade then follows North Cusick Street into downtown Maryville and turns right onto Broadway. This year's theme is "The Reason for the Season."
The final stretch is where the change matters for spectators. Here is how the published rules affect parade morning:
- Candy stops at the end point. Participants have to stop handing out candy at the end point near Amburn's Market. Families near the old Municipal Building stretch won't see any this year, because the parade no longer goes there.
- Broadway lots close temporarily. Parking lots along Broadway on the route can't be reached while the parade passes, and every side street connecting to the route is closed.
- No street vendors. The rules prohibit selling food, toys, or other merchandise along the route or in New Midland Plaza.
- The weather decision comes by 10 a.m. It will be posted on the Jaycees' Facebook page, and updates are available at (865) 973-9945. The rain date is Sunday, Dec. 13, at 3 p.m.
- The lineup runs in The Daily Times. The official order of entries will be published in The Daily Times by Friday, Dec. 11.
Because candy has to stop near Amburn's Market, more of parade Saturday now happens on the West Broadway blocks before the turn onto Cates Street. REO Cheesewagon opens at 8 a.m. on Saturdays and sits at 429 W. Broadway, so you can stop for breakfast before the 11 a.m. start and still find a spot on the sidewalk. If lots on Broadway are cut off for part of the late morning, walking in from a side street usually beats waiting for a lot to reopen.
Two deadlines that come before any of it
The season also includes two sign-up deadlines, and both arrive soon after this post goes up.
The Jaycees take early parade registrations through Sunday, Nov. 1. Later entries pay a $20 late fee, and online applications close Monday, Nov. 30. Every entry needs some kind of Christmas decoration, and only the Jaycees' official Santa may ride in the parade.
The Festival of Trees deadline is Nov. 6. The festival fills the courthouse lawn at 345 Court St. with live Christmas trees for a month. You can drive by or walk through, and the Dec. 3 opening includes entertainment, refreshments, and visits with Santa. Entry forms and details come from the Parks & Rec office at 865-983-9244.
What downtown is still waiting on
Some plans won't be ready by December. Gillooly told WATE that a downtown hotel is planned, possibly a full-service hotel with a rooftop bar, but the site is still under construction and there is no completion timeline. She named White Star Station, the Capitol Theatre, and SkyView at Broadway Social as event venues the hotel would serve. The Daily Times has reported a proposed Tattooed Taco restaurant and rooftop bar at 205 W. Broadway, which received contingent approval from the design review board. It is still a proposal, not a place to book for the holidays.
Gillooly said the Alliance's goal is foot traffic from people who already live here. "I want the people who either grew up here or live here currently, have lived here for many years, I want them to come explore downtown," she told WATE. For Maryville residents, the two Saturdays to circle are Nov. 28 and Dec. 12.
Downtown's growth along Broadway affects more than the holiday calendar. It also shapes how homes within walking distance of these blocks are valued. If you're weighing what that means for your own property, The Blankinship Group will walk you through it with care and discretion. Request a Confidential Consultation & Free Home Valuation.
