Christmas Parade & Tree Lighting - Friday, November 17, 2023

The City of Hickory traditionally hosts its annual holiday season kick-off event, the Lowes Foods Christmas Parade & Tree Lighting, the Friday before Thanksgiving. This year's holiday kickoff event is scheduled for Friday, November 17, 2023, at 5:45 p.m. Lowes Foods has been the sponsor of this festive event since the first year. Immediately following the parade through downtown, Santa will light the tree on Union Square. Enjoy holiday music, shopping specials, and more!
 

Parade Route

The parade follows the route below:

• Parade starts at the intersection of 4th Street NW and 1st Avenue NW
• Continue on 1st Avenue NW towards City Hall
• Turns right on North Center Street
• Turns right on Main Avenue NW
• Continues through Union Square and exits on Main Avenue NW (Santa will be dropped off at Union Square before exiting downtown)

Contacts

Want to participate in the parade? Applications for entry will be available starting October 1, 2023. For questions about the parade, please contact Recreation & Special Events Coordinator Kyle Mishler at (828) 261-2259 or kmishler@hickorync.gov. For questions about the tree lighting, please contact the Office of Communications at (828) 261-2290.

2022 Winter Wonderland Snow Globe Photos

If you visited the City's snow globe on Union Square in 2022 and had your photo taken, those photos are available below. To save your photo, please follow these simple instructions:

1. Using the arrows on the left and right, scroll through the photos and find the one you want to download.
2. Click on the photo. A new window will open.
3. Click on the "Download this photo" button in the bottom right corner.  
4. Select your photo size.
5. Your download is complete!