Parade details
- What: Ashland’s annual Christmas parade and tree lighting
- Where: The parade route goes down Claremont Avenue and takes a right onto Main Street
- When: Dec. 7 at 6 p.m.
ASHLAND — The annual Christmas parade is Ashland Main Street’s most-talked about event, according to executive director Sandra Tunnell.
Each year, around 80 floats roll down Claremont Avenue and take a right onto Main Street for the parade.
For the first time this year, the public selected the parade’s theme. It was an opportunity to weigh in on the theme on Ashland Main Street’s social media over the summer.
The theme decided on: “A Vintage Christmas.”
Floats will all center on that theme, one Tunnell said she is excited about because of the variety of takes. Anything from the 1790s to the 1990s could be considered vintage.
“What is exciting is so many people tell us how much they look forward to this,” Tunnell said.
Allowing the people to weigh in on the theme isn’t the only new aspect of the parade.
Ashland Main Street recently moved into a new office space at 19 West Main Street. That new space comes with a window that looks over downtown, according to Tunnell. At United Way’s Holiday Happenings — which takes place Dec. 5 — Ashland Main Street’s office will go up for auction as a space to get a bird’s-eye view of the parade.
Once the parade concludes, all attention turns to Corner Park, where Ashland Mayor Matt Miller lights the town’s Christmas tree and sets off fireworks.
The day of the Christmas parade, Ashland Main Street will have a Shop Hop in effect, with several downtown businesses participating. Downtown will also have its annual window decorating contest, with local businesses decking their stores with holiday cheer.
Tunnell added the Christmas spirit will continue in downtown post-parade with Uniontown Brewing Co.’s annual Breakfast with Santa on Dec. 14 too. That event requires a ticket to attend.