Sevierville Christmas Parade

The Opposite of Gatlinburg’s Parade

Sevierville’s runs on Saturday morning in daylight, and that is the point. Where Gatlinburg goes big and televised, this one has run for more than sixty years as a genuine community parade: the Sevier County High School marching band, car clubs, church groups, Shriners, pageant winners waving from convertibles, baton twirlers, scout troops and about a hundred entries in total.

Santa closes it out. Both parades fall on the same weekend and plenty of visitors do both, which is easier than it sounds since one is Friday night in Gatlinburg and this is Saturday at 11:00 AM twenty minutes up the road.

Where to Watch

The route leaves the First Baptist Church lot, goes north on Forks of the River Parkway, right onto Main Street, right onto Court Avenue and back to the start. Court Avenue in front of the old courthouse is the spot most regulars pick, with the historic buildings behind and room for kids to sit at the curb. The parade takes roughly an hour end to end but only about half that passes any single viewing point. Arrive 30 to 45 minutes early for a curbside spot and bring chairs.

Road Closures

Sections of Court Avenue typically close at 9:00 AM, with South Honey Lane, the northbound Forks of the River Parkway lanes and the eastbound Main Street lanes closing around 10:45 AM. Traffic stays snarled downtown until about 1:00 PM. Park north or east of the route and walk in.

Part of a Full Weekend

The parade sits inside Smoky Mountain Winterfest, and downtown Sevierville stacks its holiday events into this one weekend. The courthouse tree lighting runs Thursday evening, Gatlinburg’s parade is Friday night, and this is the Saturday morning finish. The outlets and downtown shops are geared up for it, which is either a bonus or a warning depending on your tolerance for December shopping traffic.