Clinton's December 5 Gets Decided in November

When does Clinton's Christmas season actually start? The Chamber's official answer is the morning of Saturday, December 5, when the 52nd annual Clinton Chamber Christmas Parade heads down Clinton Boulevard at 10:00 a.m. For anyone riding a float, decorating a tree or holding a seat in a chapel pew that day, it starts earlier. The deadlines behind that Saturday fall over the next three weeks, and the first one is eight days away.

Three hosts share December 5 this year. The Clinton Chamber of Commerce has the morning. The Quisenberry Library holds its Christmas Open House the same day. Mississippi College closes its three-night Festival of Lights in Provine Chapel that evening. All three have a lead-up schedule of their own, and taken together they give Clinton a calendar running from mid-November to the first Saturday of December.

The Countdown, Date by Date

The Holiday Market at Olde Towne Market on November 14 comes first. It runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. that Saturday, three weeks before the parade. The rest of the calendar works backward from December 5.

November 20 Is the Last Day at the $25 Parade Fee

The Clinton Chamber has run this parade on the first Saturday of December for the last 50 years. On its parade page, the Chamber calls it one of the city's best-attended events and the kickoff to Clinton's holiday activities. That same page describes the parade as an event that "touches most households in Clinton," with people either marching, volunteering or "up early to claim a viewing spot along the parade route."

This year's theme is "Toy Soldiers." The Clinton Courier reports that the application fee is $25 through November 20, rising to $35 after that, with payment due alongside the completed application on ClintonChamber.org. Getting an entry in by that Friday saves $10.

The Courier also lists the rules the parade committee sets for entries:

• Music choices should follow the "Toy Soldiers" theme.
• No live animals without permission from the parade committee.
• All attire and activity should be family-friendly.
• Only one live Santa is allowed, and he and Mrs. Claus ride the route on top of a Clinton fire truck.
• Float order is first-come, first-serve on parade day, and registered participants get more details closer to the date.

That fourth rule explains why entries don't include their own Santas. The fifth explains early arrival for float crews: lineup order goes to whoever shows up first that Saturday morning. Businesses, clubs, churches, Scouts, bands and individuals are all welcome to apply, according to the Courier.

Spectators also have a planning tool. The Chamber posts a viewer map for choosing a spot and a participant map with lineup details. Questions go to the Chamber at 601-924-5912 or [email protected].

November 21 Starts the Library's Two-Week Build

On November 21, the same day the parade fee rises to $35, a second window opens across town. The Quisenberry Library at 605 East Northside Drive starts tree setup for its Annual Christmas Tree Gala on November 21, and setup continues through December 3.

The invitation is open to the same kinds of groups the parade draws. The Clinton Courier wrote that local businesses, organizations, churches, clubs and community groups can sponsor and decorate a tree in the library. A church youth group or a small office could build a float and decorate a tree in the same three weeks, with the parade application due first and the tree due two days before the event.

The library has a number to beat. According to the Courier, its record is 51 trees on display, and library officials have said they would like to pass it this year. The finished trees go on display at the library's Christmas Open House on December 5. That gives anyone at the parade a second Clinton holiday stop the same Saturday, on East Northside Drive.

To sign up for a tree or ask about open house hours, call the library at 601-924-5684 or email [email protected].

December 3 Is Both a Deadline and an Opening Night

Thursday, December 3 is the last day for tree setup at Quisenberry. It is also the first of three performances of Mississippi College's Festival of Lights. The Department of Music lists shows in Provine Chapel on December 3, 4 and 5, 2026, each at 7:00 p.m.

The Festival dates to 1986, when it began under the direction of Dr. Richard Joiner. Forty years on, it keeps the same format. MC faculty join the MC Singers for music and scripture readings in the English tradition of Lessons and Carols. Each year the choir enters and leaves the chapel by candlelight, singing "Of the Father's Love Begotten."

Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children and students from any school, seniors, and MC faculty and staff. They are sold through the Music Department's online ticket shop. If you're choosing a night, the ticket shop labels December 5 as a Sunday, but the date is a Saturday. The Department's dated event listing has the December 5, 2026 performance at 7:00 p.m.

Which night to pick depends on how full you want Saturday to be. The Thursday and Friday performances keep the chapel separate from parade weekend. The Saturday performance closes out the day the parade started.

Saturday, December 5, Start to Finish

By the first Saturday of December, the November deadlines have already set up the day.

1. 10:00 a.m. The 52nd Clinton Chamber Christmas Parade starts down Clinton Boulevard, with floats lined up in the order they arrived and Santa and Mrs. Claus riding on a Clinton fire truck.
2. Same day. The Quisenberry Library Christmas Open House at 605 East Northside Drive shows the trees decorated by local groups between November 21 and December 3. Call 601-924-5684 for hours.
3. 7:00 p.m. The last Festival of Lights performance of the year in Provine Chapel.

Nine hours separate the parade's 10 a.m. start from the 7 p.m. chapel service. The trees on display at the library come from the same kinds of businesses, churches and clubs the parade invites to march that morning.

A Few Straight Answers

What time is the 2026 Clinton Christmas Parade? Saturday, December 5, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., according to the Clinton Chamber's 2026 parade page.

Where can I see the parade route? The Chamber posts viewer and participant maps on its parade page. The Courier reports that the parade starts down Clinton Boulevard.

Is it too late to enter a float? Registration is open on ClintonChamber.org. The fee is $25 through November 20 and $35 after that.

Can my business decorate a tree at the library? Yes. Businesses, organizations, churches, clubs and community groups can sponsor a tree. Setup runs November 21 through December 3, and sign-ups go through the library at 601-924-5684.

At Highland Realty, we work in Clinton every day, and we keep an eye on the local calendar as closely as the market. If a move is in your plans for the new year and you'd like to talk it through over coffee after the parade, Schedule a Local Market Consultation with Brad or Brittany before the season gets busy.