Kick off the holidays and celebrate the season with us at the 28th Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony on Friday, November 21 from 6-9 p.m., and the 97th Concord Christmas Parade on Saturday, November 22 beginning at 2:30 p.m.

These family-friendly events are free to the public and feature children’s activities, live music, and fireworks.

 

28th Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony

Friday, November 21, 6-9 p.m.

Presented By

The annual tree lighting ceremony will take place in Downtown Concord. There will be food trucks, a kids’ zone, Santa and Mrs. Claus, and fireworks to end the celebration.

 

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Childrens' Activities & Food Trucks
Union Street, Cabarrus Avenue, & Church Street

Movie on Union - The Grinch (2018), 6 p.m.
Union Street near the Library

Stage Performamces, 6-8 p.m.
Union Street & Church Street

Illuminated Vehicle Competition, 6-8 p.m.
Church Street

Santa & Mrs. Clause, 6-8 p.m.
Arts Council Lawn

Tree Lighting, 8 p.m.
Courthouse Plaza 

Fireworks, 8:20 p.m.
Best viewed from Bicentennial Parking Lot on Church Street

Event Map:

 

Santa Land, Presented by Kinetic, Uwharrie Bank, and Propst Brothers Distributors

Join us in the snow-filled Courthouse Plaza to meet Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus. This will be the perfect backdrop for a photo of your child with Santa! 

 

Stage Entertainment

This year, we will have two stage options. On the main stage, located at the intersection of Union Street and Barbrick Avenue, we'll be joined by musical guest, Saddletramp, who is a premier Asheville-based classic and outlaw country show band who will cover the best '70's, ’80s, and ’90s country hits. Combining over 100 years of professional experience among its fvive members, Saddletramp electrifies every stage bringing all of your favorite country radio and dance hits back to life for you to sing and dance along to. Fronted by Grammy member and American Idol Golden Ticket winner Blake Anthony Ellege, Saddletramp brings the ULTIMATE show band experience to any setting.

 

Additionally, our youth entertainment stage will be located at the intersection of Church Street and Means Avenue. Youth performers will include:

6-6:20 p.m. - WM Irvin Elementary School and Pitts School Road Chorus’

6:25-6:35 p.m. - Motion Dance Studio

6:40-7 p.m. - Royal Oaks School of the Arts

7:05-7:15 p.m. - Dance Expressions

7:20-7:40 p.m. - Concord High School Theatre III and IV Class

 

Kids' Zone 

Located in the parking lot behind Flywheel, the Kids Zone will feature a bounce house and dual-lane slide, obstacle course, balloon artist, LED seesaws, and a rock climbing wall.

 

Movie on Union

Beginning at 6:00 p.m., the movie The Grinch (2018 version) will play on a large screen on Union Street, in front of the Concord Library. Bring chairs and blankets and enjoy a free, family-friendly movie screening!

 

Friday, November 21, Road Closures:

7:00 a.m.

• No parking in the County Parking Lot 2 on Church Street

12:00 P.M.

• No parking on Union Street, Market Street, and Barbrick Avenue

1:00 P.M.

• Close Union Street from Library to Corban Avenue

• Close Barbrick Avenue

• Close Corban Avenue SE at Church Street S

• Close Corban Avenue SE at McCachern Boulevard SE

2:00 P.M.

• Bicentinnial Parking lot and parking behind Flywheel  closes

• Close Means Avenue SE at Church Street 

• No Parking on Church Street

3:00 p.m.

• Close Market Street from Barbrick Avenue to City Hall

• Close CESI Parking Lot

4:00 p.m.

• Close Church Street S from Cabarrus Avenue E to Corban Ave. 

7:45 P.M.

• McCachern Boulevard at Cabarrus Avenue and Corban Avenue

• McCachern Boulevard at Corban Avenue

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97th concord christmas parade saturday, November 22 at 2:30 p.m.

The annual Concord Christmas Parade is one of the oldest and continuously running Christmas parades in North Carolina!

Parade Entries, Guidelines, and Awards

View or download a copy of the 2025 Parade Lineup. 

2025 Parade Guidelines can be found here.

Parade Route: 

The parade begins at the intersection of Church Street N and Lake Concord Road, and continues over two miles along Church Street, Buffalo Avenue, and Union Street, ending at the intersection of Union Street and Corban Avenue. The judges’ stage will be near the intersection of Barbrick Avenue and Union Street.

Saturday, November 22, Road Closures:

Union Street from Corban Avenue to Cabarrus Avenue will close at 8 a.m. on Saturday, November 22. Beginning at Noon on Saturday, Union Street will close from Foard Avenue SW to Buffalo Avenue, Church St between Corban Ave and Cabarrus Ave will be closed to thru traffic, Corban Avenue between McCachern Blvd and Spring St will be closed, Cabarrus Avenue, between Market Street and Church Street will be closed, and rolling closures from south to north will begin along Church Street between Buffalo Avenue and Highway 29.

McGee Parking Lot Closure:

The McGee Park parking lot will close to accomodate the Santa Scramble 5k that takes place just before the Concord Christmas Parade along the parade route. The park will remain open to the public however it will only be accessible by the Downtown Connector and McEachern Greenways. Parking is available at Les Myers Park and Wilson Street Park.

Grand Marshal:

The City is excited to honor Greg Walter, President and General Manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway, during the 97^th Concord Christmas Parade as this year's Grand Marshall. This special honor is in recognition of his leadership and many contributions to the community. 

Concord has long been known for its deep racing roots and is proud to be home to Charlotte Motor Speedway. Under the leadership of Walter, the Charlotte Motor Speedway complex continues to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors to Concord each year for world-class racing and entertainment experiences. The complex generates a regional economic impact of approximately $450 million annually and supports Concord’s reputation as a premier travel destination.

Walter’s impact on the community, however, extends far beyond the dollars and cents of racing. Never wanting to limit what the racetrack can do for the community; he continuously looks for ways the organization can be more than just an economic powerhouse. The speedway offers Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) programs to help educate and inspire students, host community groups and events of all sizes and variety throughout the year, including holiday celebrations like Speedway Christmas, opened their campgrounds to hurricane victims ahead of Hurricane Helene and hosted supply drives to get needed aid to neighbors in mountain communities, and even hosted drive-thru vaccine clinics, drive-in movie nights, and drive-in graduation ceremonies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Learn more about this year's Grand Marshal, Greg Walters, by clicking here.

 

Special Guest

The City will honor Suzanne Howard as the Special Guest for the 97^th Concord Christmas Parade. Howard has been involved with the Concord Christmas Parade for nearly four decades, serving as the co-host and voice of the parade for more than 20 years. 

Howard is a life-long resident of Concord and grew up watching the parade. She marched in it as a child with her baton class, and one year she rode in the parade on a bobsled her dad built and pulled behind a tractor. For her, and for so many generations of families, the annual Concord Christmas Parade is a defining tradition that signals the start of the holiday season. 

As a young child watching the parade with awe and excitement from the back of a mill truck, Howard could not have imagined then that she would one day be responsible for ushering in the beloved holiday tradition and helping to bring the same joy to countless children. It is a responsibility that found her after she met her husband, John Howard.

John had been involved with the parade since 1965. When he and Suzanne married in 1987, she became a parade volunteer by association. Since that time, she has done everything from staking out the parade, reviewing applications, setting the lineup, and even cleaning up after the horses. Today, she continues to co-host the parade alongside Teresa Padgett. Together, they have been the voice narrating the parade for viewers on TV for more than 20 years.

As Special Guest for the 97^th Concord Christmas Parade, Howard will temporarily step away from her co-hosting duties with Padgett to ride in the parade as the City’s honored guest. The community is encouraged to wave and cheer her on during this much-deserved recognition for her decades of work in front of the camera and behind-the-scenes making the parade possible for all to enjoy. 

Learn more about our Special Guest, Suzanne Howard, by clicking here.

Parade Awards:

Categories

School Bands - First Place ($1,000), Second Place ($500.00), Third Place ($250.00)

School - First Place ($250.00), Second Place ($150.00), Third Place ($100.00)

Church - First Place ($250.00), Second Place ($150.00), Third Place ($100.00)

Civic Organization - First Place ($250.00), Second Place ($150.00), Third Place ($100.00)

Parade Sponsors:

Small Business Saturday Holiday Trail

November 29 from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Join us in Downtown Concord for a festive day of holiday shopping and cheer at the Small Business Saturday Holiday Trail. With over 60 indoor and outdoor vendors lining the streets and sidewalks, it's the perfect opportunity to find unique gifts, support local shops and restaurants, and soak in the holiday spirit. 

Ride the Trolleys: We’re bringing back two trolleys to trail the community — making it easy (and fun!) to visit your favorite stops, including The Gibson Mill Market and Southern Strain Brewery.

Santa is Coming to Town: Capture the magic of the season with a visit from Santa himself!

 

Holiday Market at ClearWater Arts Center and Studios

December 6 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

ClearWater Arts Center and Studios invites you to its third annual Holiday Market! Join the ClearWater Tenant Artists, the Cabarrus Art Guild (CAG) and the Southern Piedmont Woodturners (SPW) - along with other local artists and artisans, selling their original hand-crafted artworks and craft wares!

Join the ClearWater Tenant Artists, the Cabarrus Art Guild (CAG) and the Southern Piedmont Woodturners (SPW)  on Saturday, December 6 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in both the main CleatWater Arts Center building and the Ceramics Center. There will be a food truck, live music, and original hand-crafted artworks and crafts for sale.