The Lighted Boat Parade and Reindeer on the Riverfront move to Coolidge Park Nov. 27. The MAINx24 parade is Dec. 5 on the Southside.

Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. This page is updated each year. Facts come from River City Company, MAINx24 and the City of Chattanooga’s road closure releases.

Chattanooga’s Christmas season opens on the river. The free Reindeer on the Riverfront and Lighted Boat Parade is Friday, Nov. 27, the day after Thanksgiving, and moves to Coolidge Park this year. The Southside’s MAINx24 and its parade follow on Saturday, Dec. 5. For questions about the boat parade, call River City Company at 423-265-3700.

Who to call

  • Reindeer on the Riverfront: River City Company, 423-265-3700
  • Road closures: the city’s closures map and Chattanooga 311, 423-643-6311
  • Holiday trash schedule: see our trash and recycling guide

Reindeer on the Riverfront and Lighted Boat Parade

Friday, Nov. 27, 4 to 8 p.m., Coolidge Park. Free. River City Company says the event has run on the Friday after Thanksgiving for more than 40 years, with boats decorated by the Southern Belle and Erwin Marine Sales.

Time What happens
4 to 6:30 p.m. Live reindeer
4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Free pictures with Santa
7 to 8 p.m. Lighted Boat Parade on the Tennessee River
8 p.m. Fireworks

There is also a hot cocoa bar, mini-train rides, face painting and balloon animals. River City Company posts parking for the North Shore and the south shore on its event page. In past years, when the event was on the south bank, the city closed Riverfront Parkway from Aquarium Way to Molly Lane for the day; watch for this year’s closures.

MAINx24 and the Main Street parade

Saturday, Dec. 5. MAINx24 is always held on the first Saturday of December on the Southside, with more than 120 events through the day, including a parade, a chili cook-off and adult Big Wheel races. The 2026 schedule is on mainx24.com.

Last year the parade stepped off at 10:30 a.m. Main Street closed between Polk Street and Broad Street from 10 a.m., with staging on Polk Street, and the city recommended Broad Street, 23rd Street and Holtzclaw Avenue as detours. Expect a similar plan this year.

Hamilton County tree lighting

Hamilton County holds its annual Christmas tree lighting on the courthouse lawn downtown. In 2025 the event was rescheduled, and the city closed Lookout Street between E. Sixth Street and Georgia Avenue and one southbound lane of Georgia Avenue from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2 for setup. The 2026 date has not been announced; we will add it when the county posts it.

Thanksgiving morning races

Two races close roads on Thanksgiving morning, Thursday, Nov. 26. Last year the Grateful Gobbler 5K closed Market Street from Frazier Avenue to Martin Luther King Boulevard and parts of the North Shore from 6 to 11 a.m., and the Turkey Trot closed lanes on Lee Highway and Vance Road from 7 to 10:30 a.m.

What this means for you

  • Reindeer on the Riverfront is on the North Shore this year, not downtown; plan parking for Coolidge Park.
  • Main Street on the Southside is closed the morning of Saturday, Dec. 5.
  • Garbage is not collected on Thanksgiving or Christmas Day; it is picked up the Saturday after.

Related guides: things to do this month, parks and trails and getting around Chattanooga.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Chattanooga lighted boat parade in 2026?

Friday, Nov. 27, 2026, the day after Thanksgiving. The boat parade runs 7 to 8 p.m. on the Tennessee River, followed by fireworks at 8 p.m. Reindeer on the Riverfront starts at 4 p.m.

Where is Reindeer on the Riverfront this year?

It moves to Coolidge Park on the North Shore for 2026. It is free, with live reindeer from 4 to 6:30 p.m. and pictures with Santa from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.

When is the MAINx24 Christmas parade?

MAINx24 is always the first Saturday of December; in 2026 that is Dec. 5. Last year the parade started at 10:30 a.m. on Main Street between Polk and Broad streets.

When is the Hamilton County Christmas tree lighting?

Hamilton County lights its tree on the courthouse lawn downtown in early December. The 2026 date has not been announced; in 2025 it was rescheduled to the first days of December.