On Saturday, December 12, the Blount County Jaycees Christmas Parade will come down Broadway Avenue into downtown Maryville as it does every year. When the lead float reaches McCammon-Ammons Funeral Home, it will turn left onto Cates Street. Floats will no longer roll past the Maryville Municipal Building, and the last stretch of the old route toward Lamar Alexander Parkway will have no parade at all.
The Jaycees' new route takes about one stretch of road out of the parade. Maryville's December events now sit on a short run of Broadway and the Court Street blocks around the courthouse: the Holiday Market, the tree lighting, the Festival of Trees, the Reindeer Run and the parade. If you know those few blocks, you can plan every date below.
What the 2026 route drops
The Jaycees' 2026 parade page calls this year's route "an important change." Lineup starts at 9 a.m. and the parade steps off at 11 a.m. It still starts from the staging area on Joule Street in Alcoa, passes through New Midland Plaza and comes into Maryville on Cusick Street. Compare that with the route the City of Maryville published for the 2024 parade, which WATE listed again for 2025.
| Route segment | 2024 and 2025 parades | 2026 parade |
|---|---|---|
| Staging | Joule Street, Alcoa | Joule Street, Alcoa |
| Entering Maryville | Cusick Street, then right onto Broadway | Cusick Street, then right onto Broadway |
| Leaving Broadway | Right at Lamar Alexander Parkway | Left onto Cates Street beside McCammon-Ammons Funeral Home |
| Finish | Simmons Street near New Providence Presbyterian Church | East Church Avenue behind CBBC Bank |
| Passes the Municipal Building | Yes | No |
McCammon-Ammons Funeral Home is at 220 W. Broadway Ave. The Maryville Municipal Building is at 404 W. Broadway Ave. That puts the Municipal Building frontage and the rest of the old route out to Simmons Street past the point where floats now leave Broadway. If you watched from the West Broadway sidewalks in front of City Hall or near the parkway in past years, you'll need to move east of the Cates Street corner to see the parade this year.
The Jaycees say the change will "improve traffic flow and enhance safety for participants, spectators, and motorists." Their entry rules also set a firm end point. Floats have to stop handing out candy before they reach the designated ending point near Amburn's Market, which is at 222 W. Church Ave. If your kids are in it for the candy, watch from somewhere ahead of that ending point.
The garage at Cusick Street opens and closes the season
The parade comes onto Broadway from Cusick Street. That's the corner where The Daily Times places the city-owned Broadway Garage. Two weeks earlier, the City of Maryville will light its Christmas tree at that garage.
The Maryville-Alcoa-Blount Parks & Recreation Hometown Christmas page lists the City of Maryville Tree Lighting for Saturday, November 28, at about 5:30 p.m. at the "Maryville Parking Garage on Broadway." It's free, and it ends the downtown Holiday Market that day. The garage hosted the lighting in 2025 too, according to WATE's listing that year. So the parade route has changed this year and the tree lighting spot has stayed the same. On November 28 and December 12, both of those big downtown days happen on the same short piece of Broadway.
The other two December dates are a short walk away on Court Street. The Blount County Festival of Trees fills the courthouse lawn at 345 Court St. The Reindeer Run checks in at the Maryville Greenbelt Amphitheater at 325 Court St.
The four downtown dates, in order
- Saturday, November 28: Holiday Market and tree lighting. The market falls on Small Business Saturday, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and sets up along Broadway Avenue near the courthouse. It's free, with children's activities along the street and a visit from Santa. The City tree lighting at the Broadway garage, around 5:30 p.m., closes out the day. Market hours are usually posted closer to the date.
- Thursday, December 3: Blount County Festival of Trees. Live Christmas trees in a range of sizes and themes go up on the courthouse lawn and stay lit for a month. You can drive past or walk through. Opening night has entertainment, refreshments and Santa, and the trees are lit at 6:30 p.m.
- Sunday, December 6: Reindeer Run. The 5K starts at 2 p.m. and the 1-mile fun run at 2:45 p.m. Parks & Rec lists check-in from 12:45 to 1:30 p.m. at the Greenbelt Amphitheater, and part of the proceeds go to the Empty Pantry Fund.
- Saturday, December 12: Jaycees Christmas Parade. Step-off is at 11 a.m. on the shortened route above. This year's theme is "The Reason for the Season."
The Reindeer Run has a price deadline that comes soon after this post goes up. On the Parks & Rec schedule, adult 5K entry is $32 through November 23, rises to $38 from November 24 through 30, and is $40 from December 1 through race day. Student 5K entry is $25 through November 30, then $30. The 1-mile run is $20 through November 30, then $25. An adult who signs up this weekend pays $8 less than one who registers on race morning.
Parade morning on the new route
The shorter route means fewer streets close. The ones that do close the same way as before. The Jaycees say every side street connecting to the route closes during the parade. Parking lots along Broadway on the route can't be reached while the parade passes. Businesses with entrances right on the route may have temporary access limits. If you live or run errands near the new finish, expect the parade traffic to end around Cates Street and East Church Avenue rather than out near Simmons Street.
Some other details from the Jaycees' rules are worth having before December 12:
- Weather call: The Jaycees' rules say a decision will be made by 10 a.m. on parade day or announced on Facebook. Updates are also available at (865) 973-9945.
- Rain date: Sunday, December 13, at 3 p.m.
- Lineup: The official parade lineup will appear in The Daily Times by Friday, December 11.
As of late October, the City of Maryville's news, traffic and service updates page had no parade-specific traffic notice for this year. That page is where the City posted the 2024 route notice, so look there in the week before the parade for closure details.
Where to eat between events
The newest place on Broadway is Wells Tavern, a Scottish-style pub at 114 E. Broadway Ave. In September, Knox News reported that it was set to open September 19. According to its website, it takes walk-ins and is open 11 a.m. to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays. On parade day, that 11 a.m. Saturday opening lines up with step-off. This is its first holiday season, too. The Daily Times included the then-unopened Wells Tavern among 13 downtown businesses that received façade improvement grants through the Downtown Maryville Alliance.
Other businesses on that grant list fit well around the market and the parade. Neighborly Books, Vienna Coffee House, Southern Grains Coffee Company, Tri-Hop Brewery, the Palace Theater and the Capitol Theatre are all on it. Amburn's Market on West Church Avenue is now near the parade's end point, so it's an easy stop on the walk back.
For dinner after the tree lighting on November 28, DSB Provisions lists dinner service Wednesday through Sunday, 5 to 9 p.m., at 235 Greenway Village Lane, and takes reservations through its website. Greenway Village sits between Gary Hensley Drive and Pistol Creek, a short walk from Broadway. The Maryville-Alcoa Greenway runs through the middle of it. From the 5:30 p.m. lighting at the garage, you can walk there before the 9 p.m. close.
The Fowler Group tracks changes like this across Maryville. If you're considering a sale in the new year, start with a Free Home Valuation and we'll explain what's moving the market near you.
