Soak Up Gatlinburg’s 34th Fantasy of Lights Christmas Parade, Presented by Land O’ Lakes Half & Half.
In honor of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Smokies Superintendent Dale Ditmanson will serve as Grand Marshal of Gatlinburg’s 34th annual Fantasy of Light Christmas Parade on Friday, December 4.
Classic motor cars and period dancing routines will salute the Smokies’ anniversary at the lead of the parade, which is sponsored by Land O’ Lakes Half & Half.

The City of Gatlinburg and Land O’ Lakes Half & Half invite you to bundle up and generate a spirited dose of holiday cheer and soak up Gatlinburg’s 34th annual Fantasy of Lights Christmas Parade at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, December 4 in Downtown, with more than 100 parade entries including marching bands and giant helium balloons taking to the streets.
Santa’s Autograph Party cranks up at 6 p.m. at Riverbend Mall, in the midst of a main viewing area for the Parade at Traffic Light #3 in front of the Gatlinburg Welcome Center. The parade begins at Traffic Light #1A on Hwy 321 and ends about an hour-and-a-half later at Traffic Light #10.
Pre-parade performances by Sweet Fanny Adams Theatre, Ginger Brown’s Academy of Performing Arts, Elizabeth Williams Dance Academy, and the Winter Tunes & Tales Carolers are also planned.
Jamming sidewalks and balconies along the parade route, a crowd in excess of 80,000 people is expected to soak up the illuminating festivities for Gatlinburg Winter Magic, the City of Gatlinburg’s popular holiday lights program which has received a $1.5 million injection of new displays plus a 100-percent conversion to energy-efficient LED bulbs over the past three years.
To learn more about these and other events in Gatlinburg, call 800-56-VISIT (568-4748) or visit the Gatlinburg website at www.gatlinburg.com.