Name: 80th Annual Asheville Holiday Parade
Start: 2026-11-21T11:00:00.000-05:00
End: 2026-11-21T14:00:00.000-05:00
Location: Asheville Downtown Association

Downtown Asheville's Holiday Parade turns 80 this year, and the theme is A Vintage Holiday. Expect decorated floats, vintage cars, costumes and performances from schools, nonprofits and community groups.

The parade starts at 11am on Saturday, November 21, and the festivities run until 2pm. It's free. Streets close early, so come downtown ahead of time and find your spot.

Stay for lunch and holiday shopping after, and check out the storefronts dressed up for the Winter Window Display Contest.

The Asheville Downtown Association, or ADA, is the nonprofit voice of downtown Asheville, working to keep it welcoming, safe and full of things to do. It advocates for downtown businesses and residents, supports public art and puts on free community events. Its big events include Downtown After 5, the summer concert series at Pack Square Park, and the Asheville Holiday Parade, which returns Saturday, November 21, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Asheville locals know the ADA through its free events, and downtown business owners join for the networking and to stay in the loop.

Asheville Downtown Association

Asheville farmers markets, tailgate markets, craft fairs and festivals, from the [WNC Farmers Market](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/1570-wnc-farmers-market) and [River Arts District market](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/1909-river-arts-district-farmers-market) to the Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands. Find dates, seasons and directions below.

Festivals and Markets in Asheville, NC

These are the local people who keep Asheville running, from rides and vets to nonprofits. [AVL Ride](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/723-avl-ride) has run taxis and car service around the clock since 2014, with vans that seat 15 for weddings and brewery tours. [All Pets Animal Hospital](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/2251-all-pets-animal-hospital) on Patton Avenue has cared for West Asheville pets since 1993, and [Asheville Cryotherapy and Recovery](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/3964-asheville-cryotherapy-and-recovery) on Merrimon Avenue is veteran owned. [Asheville Parks & Recreation](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/3370-asheville-parks-recreation) runs more than 50 city parks, plus community centers, pools and greenways. [Food Connection](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/839-food-connection), which started at Dig Local, rescues surplus chef-prepared food and turns it into free meals. For home and car, [The Organic Mechanic](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/33-the-organic-mechanic) on Haywood Road repairs cars with eco-conscious practices, and [MB Haynes](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/1065-mb-haynes-corporation) has handled electrical, plumbing and heating work since 1921. [Asheville Barber Company](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/2110-asheville-barber-company) on Merrimon does fades and straight razor shaves, and [Envision Eyecare](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/2438-envision-eyecare) is just north of downtown on East Chestnut Street. [Mountain BizWorks](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/1508-mountain-bizworks) lends to and coaches small businesses, and the [Asheville Humane Society](/asheville-nc/explore-places-to-go/74-asheville-humane-society) is the county's open-admission shelter. Every spot below has hours, photos and directions.

80th Annual Asheville Holiday Parade

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