UPDATE: Due to Friday night's anticipated inclement weather, Christmas at the Market and the Christmas Parade will be moved to the advertised rain date of Monday, Dec. 16. All times will remain the same. So that we can all enjoy the festive decorations longer, the tree will be lit this evening and remain on through the weekend, but we will still have a ceremonial tree lighting at 6:45 p.m. on Monday.
There is still a chance of inclement weather on Monday, so we will monitor the forecast closely and make a call about whether to move forward with the festivities by 10 a.m. on Monday. We have implemented an additional rain date of Thursday, Dec. 19. Please monitor the Town's website and social media pages on Monday morning for updates. For now, we hope to see you all downtown on Monday!
Our new event this year, Winter Wonderland, was originally scheduled to take place Saturday evening from 6-8 p.m. on Hickok Street. Due to the wet conditions and expected strong winds, we have decided to move this event inside to the Recreation Center. It will still take place on Saturday, Dec. 14, from 6-8 p.m. All the same activities will occur.
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Market, Tree Lighting and Parade
On Monday, Dec. 16, join us for the Town’s annual Christmas at the Market, tree lighting and Christmas Parade.
From 4-8 p.m., Christiansburg Farmers’ Market vendors, local crafters and food vendors will be set up inside Old Town Mall and along Hickok Street. Montgomery Museum of Art & History will also be launching their new gift shop, Museum Market on Main, during Christmas at the Market. You can check out their new space and unique items for sale at Great Road On Main from 4-8 p.m.
At 6:45 p.m., a tree lighting ceremony will take place in Town Square, with a special guest appearance.
This year’s parade – with the theme “Presents and Holly for Christmas Jolly” – will begin at 7 p.m. along Main Street.
Please note that, in order to prepare for the parade, there will be no parking on Main Street after 2 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 16. There will be temporary closures of Main Street from 3-4 p.m. so that crews can place out the pedestrian barricades for the parade. After the barricades are out, the street will reopen until 5 p.m. At 5 p.m., the parade route and the staging area will close.
Please see below for a complete list of streets and parking lots that will close at 5 p.m. in preparation for the parade:
- The length of Main Street between Park Street and Phlegar Street.
- Roanoke Street from Main Street to First Street.
- Pepper Street from First Street to Hill Street.
- The municipal parking lot in front of Town Hall.
- The parking lot between Pepper Street and Roanoke Street behind the Courthouse.
Phlegar Street (from First Street to Main Street) and Radford Road (from Main Street to Depot Street) will close just prior to the parade beginning, at 6:30 p.m.
The parade will end at the intersection of Main Street and Phlegar Street. Floats may continue to the rear parking lot of the old Christiansburg Middle School, off Depot Street.
At the end of the parade, spectators on the north (National Guard Armory) side of Main Street should exit via College Street. Spectators on the south (Dollar General) side of Main Street should exit via First Street.
Main Street will remain closed to through traffic up to two hours after the event.
The rain date for the market, tree lighting and parade is now Thursday, Dec. 19.
NEW EVENT: Winter Wonderland
On Saturday, Dec. 14, we're transforming the basketball courts of the Christiansburg Recreation Center into a Winter Wonderland!
Experience the North Pole from 6-8 p.m. at the Recreation Center, 1600 N. Franklin Street. There will be lots of fun, free activities for the whole family to enjoy!
You can take pictures with Santa Claus and visit Mrs. Claus' Kitchen for hot chocolate, cider and cookies. You may want to sit down and relax after those delicious snacks, so come watch some holiday movies that will be streaming on TVs, or enter Santa's Workshop for arts and crafts!
Maybe you'll want to join in any Reindeer Games. There will be prizes for winners of Pin the Nose on Rudolph, Snowball Toss, Musical Candy Canes, Elf Says, Bingo, Penguin Wobble and Limbo.
Take a break and walk through the wintry forest of decorated trees where artificial snow will fall from the sky, and be sure to join the Christiansburg Middle School Choir in some sing-along caroling.