The 50th Annual Lebanon Holiday Parade steps off at 10 a.m. on Saturday, November 21, and travels Cumberland Street from Lincoln Avenue to Ninth Street. This year's theme is "The Year of Tinsel," which the Community of Lebanon Association describes as a celebration of 50 golden years of holiday magic.
CLA added yearly themes to the parade in 2024. Since then, the parade has run longer and drawn more entries. This year, for the first time, the theme name appears on every event in a four-date downtown season that already included a tree lighting and two December carriage ride nights.
| Date | Event | Time | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, November 20 | Tree Lighting Festival | 5 to 7 p.m. | 9th and Cumberland Streets |
| Saturday, November 21 | 50th Annual Lebanon Holiday Parade | 10 a.m. step-off | Cumberland Street, Lincoln Avenue to 9th Street |
| Friday, December 4 | Carriage Rides and Winter Wonderland | 5 to 7:30 p.m. | Departs from 8th Street |
| Friday, December 11 | Carriage Rides and Winter Wonderland | 5 to 7:30 p.m. | Departs from 8th Street |
A Parade Built From Two Older Ones
The parade did not start as a single holiday event. In a 2023 interview with LebTown, then-CLA president Greg Bracale said Lebanon once held separate yearly Halloween and Christmas parades. "When the Halloween parade got kind of shut down many years ago, they just combined the two and then made it earlier, and we now call it the holiday parade," he said.
The streak has had one major interruption. In 2020, CLA canceled the in-person parade and held a virtual one at 10 a.m. on November 21, with at least a dozen participants signed up, according to LebTown's coverage that year.
Bracale also told LebTown that year, "We are one of the last large-large community parades in the region. So many have kind of went by the wayside." The parade has grown since he said that.
What A Theme Did To A Fifty-Year Tradition
The 2023 parade was a fairly traditional lineup. It included the Annville-Cleona, Cedar Crest and Lebanon high school marching bands, banner and balloon carriers, floats, and Santa at the end, and organizers expected it to wrap up around noon.
CLA introduced themes in 2024, along with a "Best in Holiday Theme" prize. Parade co-chair and CLA vice president Emmily Longenecker told LebTown in November 2025 that 2024 was CLA's "biggest parade ever." It stepped off at 10 a.m., and the last entry did not reach the end of the route until 1 p.m. That is about an hour longer than the noon finish organizers expected the year before. Longenecker credited the theme in part. "We had the most participants last year, and it was just really cool to see all the community that comes together," she said.
The committee then picked the 2025 theme soon after the 2024 parade ended. In 2025, the Year of Gingerbread had two gingerbread men leading the parade. CLA also worked with downtown businesses on a hunt-and-find gingerbread man game that ran through the holiday season. The parade also added a patriotic division in the middle of the lineup to kick off the celebration of the country's 250th anniversary in 2026. A fife and drum group from the Philadelphia area led it, and the division had its own prize category.
Tinsel is the third theme. CLA is using its name across the tree lighting, the parade, the carriage rides and the sponsorship push.
The Friday Before Is Now Its Own Event
The tree lighting shows the growth most clearly.
| 2023 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Time | 6 to 7:30 p.m. | 5 to 7 p.m. |
| Program | Brass band, Mrs. Claus with goodies, carols | Two hours of family activities, 90 minutes of performances, a ceremony, then the lighting |
| Food | None mentioned | Eight scheduled food trucks |
On November 20, the Lebanon Community Library will hold children's activities, with live holiday story readings at 5:15 and 6:15 p.m. Lebanon Family Health Services will run children's activities, and CLA will host a Letters to Santa station and a holiday scavenger hunt. Toys for Tots will collect new, unwrapped toys throughout the evening.
Holiday performances run from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The ceremony follows from 6:30 to 6:55, and the Downtown Christmas Tree lights at about 6:55. CLA is still booking performers. Choirs, bell choirs, musicians and youth groups can request a 10- to 25-minute slot by emailing [email protected] by Friday, November 6.
CLA encourages people to eat dinner at the festival. The scheduled trucks are Sugar Mamas, Italian Oven on Wheels, Joy Joy Lumpia, Homestead Chef, Old Road Pretzels, Sirro's, Haj Paj and Cool Beans Brew. CLA notes that the lineup can change. Admission is free.
Parade Morning, Hour By Hour
A parade that now runs about three hours takes some planning. Here is how the morning has gone in recent years, based on what organizers have said:
- 7 to 8 a.m. Longenecker told LebTown she sees "blankets and chairs already hitting the sidewalks by 7, 8 o'clock just to reserve a good spot." She added that the route is long enough to find a good view almost anywhere along it.
- Before 9 a.m. Plan to park early. Longenecker called parking one of the hardest parts of the day, because many side streets close and public lots fill up. The city's metered spaces have limits ranging from 30 minutes to 10 hours, and meters run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to the City of Lebanon parking page. A two-hour meter will expire before the parade ends.
- 10 a.m. Step-off at Lincoln Avenue. In 2025, the judging area and broadcast booth were on Cumberland Street near Seventh Street, and some groups stopped there for two-minute performances.
- Mid-morning. Balloons and bands. The 2025 parade had three large helium balloons and commitments from at least four high school bands.
- The finale. Santa traditionally rides at the end of the procession. In 2023, he was dropped off at the farmers market afterward and visited with children upstairs for about two hours. CLA has not yet posted its 2026 plans for that visit.
If you can't make it downtown, the parade will be broadcast live again with the same hosts as last year: Laura LeBeau on WiLBuR 99.7 and Nancy Ryan of the Nancy & Newman Show on Froggy Valley 100.1.
Where To Warm Up Along The Route
The Lebanon Farmers Market at 35 S. 8th St. is open Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., a block off the parade route. It has produce, meat, candy, pastries, hot pretzels, a coffee bar and restaurants. Visit Lebanon Valley lists S. Clyde Weaver, Candyrama and Zig's Bakery among its specialty vendors.
The Timeless Café at 18 S. 8th St. opens at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday through Sunday and closes at 1 p.m., about when the last entries reach Ninth Street.
If Your Group Wants To March
Registration is open to businesses, organizations, schools, clubs and community groups. CLA members and nonprofits register for free. Commercial entries from non-members cost $75, and each vehicle beyond two commercial vehicles costs another $75. CLA does not accept registrations on parade day.
Entries must follow a few rules. Items cannot be thrown. Santa portrayals are not allowed, so there is only one Santa in the parade. Every vehicle needs holiday decoration unless it is pulling a float. The 2025 prize list gave a sense of what entrants compete for. Best Float paid $400 for first place, and the theme, dance, walking group and decorated emergency vehicle categories each paid $150 for first.
CLA is also looking for volunteers. Last year, the committee recruited about 100 volunteers on top of its regular crew. To help, email [email protected].
The season is paid for by local sponsors. Ed and Jeanne Arnold are the presenting sponsors and Chrisland Engineering is the legacy sponsor. WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital is sponsoring the grand marshal, and band sponsors include Bamberger's, Godshall's Quality Meats and Lebanon Federal Credit Union.
Book The December Nights Early
The season ends with Carriage Rides and Winter Wonderland on Friday, December 4, and Friday, December 11. Horse-drawn carriages leave from 8th Street, with the first ride at 5 p.m. and the last at 7:30 p.m. Each carriage holds about 10 to 15 passengers. New this year, the Winter Wonderland expands with seasonal décor, gathering spaces and more holiday activities.
Buy tickets in advance. Longenecker said last year that walk-up tickets are sometimes available, but the rides usually sell out. CLA says tickets will go on sale later this year on its carriage rides page. That page lists the first date as December 5 in the ticket section, so confirm it with CLA before you buy.
Denise Bollard has worked in Lebanon County for decades and knows the blocks along this parade route well. If you're thinking about a home within walking distance of Cumberland Street, or wondering what your current home is worth before the new year, schedule a consultation and we can talk it through.
