Knoxville Christmas Parade Brings Pageantry to the 2025 Holiday Season

Christmas 2025 arrived in grand style this past Friday with the 52nd Annual WIVK Downtown Knoxville Christmas Parade. With 120 entrants in this year’s edition, the Christmas spirit came marching, dancing, driving, skipping and surfing down Gay Street. The weather cooperated to keep the parade dry and actually slightly warmer than last year. The parade always marks an entrance into the season for me and reminds me that Christmas is both a time of reflection and looking forward.

In addition to parade photos, I looked back at who some of our grand marshals have been over the years, which proved to be more difficult than expected. Last Monday, Paul James brought us an exceptional article in his Ghost Walking Series on the Inaugural Christmas Parade in 1928. Read his article for the early history of the parade. Then, after pictures of the band, floats and more, I’ve compiled a list of links to all of Inside of Knoxville’s coverage of the parade, dating back to 2010.

Grand Marshals

Maybe I was being a bit prescient last year when I erroneously said that the University of Tennessee head baseball coach was the grand marshal (I promise I know the difference between Tony Vitello and Todd Helton). As it turns out, this year’s grand marshal was the Baseball Vols new head coach Josh Elander. I started thinking about who had been grand marshals over the years and quickly discovered that the information was not easily found. After doing some digging through online databases (thank you TEL), I was able to find some our Knoxville trends. We have leaned heavily into athletics in the more modern years. Aside from Hall of Famer Todd Helton and Coach Elander, head coaches have been a theme with UTK Basketball Coach Cuonzo Martin in 2012 and Pat Summit in 1993. Going a little further back, boxer Big John Tate marshaled the 1979 parade with former Mayor Randy Tyree. And our beloved UT mascot Smokey was the marshal in 2019.

Musicians rank high on the list as well. Archie Campbell (1969), Lew Dewitt of the Statler Brothers (1984), Chet Atkins (1983), Tanya Tucker (1985), Sawyer Brown (1987), Louise Mandrell (1997), SHeDAISY (2000) and Katie Armiger (2014) have all led the parade. If anyone in charge is taking a peek at this, a return to a musical theme with Dolly would be incredible. Seriously, Hard Candy Christmas with Dolly would be, as the kiddies used to say, fire.

In earlier years, business people and politicians marshaled the parade, including Rusty Wallace (2018), Xen B Portwood (KUB Director, 1958), Bill Nash (1965), Mayor Leonard Rogers and US Rep John Duncan (1969), Mayor Kyle Testerman (1972), Maynard Glenn (city recreation director) (1973), and Lamar Alexander (1977). We’ve also had a fair share of Pageant winners including Miss Tennessee Lori Smith (1994), Miss Teen USA Shelly Moore and Miss Tennessee Lanna Keck (with Louise Mandrell) (1997). In 2003, we invited Army Sgt Francis Carista and PFC Patrick Miller (507th Maintenance Company) who were ambushed, leading to capture of Pvt Jessica Lynch.

My favorite, thus far in the research, though, was the 1970 Grand Marshal, making his way down from our Kentucky neighbors to the north: Colonel Harlan Sanders, fully dressed in his Kentucky Fried Chicken suit. When the Colonel passed in 1980, his Knoxville obituary mentioned his time as marshal.

Favorite Floats

I enjoyed every float in the parade this year, though I still wish that we would bring back the competition for floats that many cities still hold. Here are my favorites, based on nothing but my own reactions. Sharp Social’s Wicked/Wizard of Oz Float was a fun hat tip to the very popular Broadway Show and movie series.

Cruze Farm’s very colorful float featured a farm cow and Cruze Farm representatives handing out milk to the crowd.

McLain’s Painting featured a very traditional and well-done nativity.

Y-12 Federal Credit Union celebrated the Yule Ball with a Harry Potter themed float, made complete by Dobby the House Elf. He had a even sock for Christmas! Dobby is a Free Elf.

Finally, the Edmunds Gastroenterologist’s float brought some humor to the crowd with an important message about colon health.

Several other fantastic floats were on the parade route. Take a look at the gallery below for more floats, including some non-profits who are doing important work, one neighborhood float (Luwana Lane); I miss seeing neighborhood floats that were very present in decades past.

Marching Bands

As I stated last year, I love marching bands. I spent ten years marching through high school and in the University of Tennessee Pride of the Southland Band. As a marcher, there is something special about Christmas parades. I was surprised to see only five bands this year, a drop from last year’s musicians.

Karns High School Fightin’ Beaver Band

Claiborne High School Band

Austin-East High School Marching Roadrunners Band

Concord Christian School Pride of the Den Marching Band

South Doyle High School Band

Other Favorite Moments

Animals in the parade are always a favorite for me, and I loved seeing the KFD Dalamation and our mounted police on beautiful horses.

I enjoyed the trolleys that once serviced downtown, and it was great to see a refurbished one in Knox Vegas Style’s Molly the Trolley.

I have long talked to Leslie about an interview with the Knoxville Skipping Jester and recently come to decide that the mystery is better. But, I did catch a fleeting glimpse of this Knoxville (Urban) Legend. This satisfies my desire to have that conversation.

I love a Christmas Story on so many levels. I was happy to see Ralphie’s bunny suit represented. I just wish that I could have framed this shot with the leg lamp (it’s a major award) that sits in a window above the Tennessee Theatre. You can see it in several of the pictures.

Finally, the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile made an appearance.

Revelers in Downtown

The parade was lined with families and friends taking in the pageantry, but downtown was filled with Christmas revelers throughout. I had a chance to capture a few.

Christmases Long, Long Ago

Not really, but I thought it would be a fun addition to look back Inside of Knoxville’s coverage over the past sixteen years.

2024 || 2023 || 2019 (Part 1) (Part 2) || 2018 (Part 1) (Part 2) || 2017 || 2016 || 2015 || 2014 || 2013 || 2012 (Part 1) (Part 2) || 2011 (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3)

And finally, the very first coverage Urban Guy did at the start of Inside of Knoxville: 2010 (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3)

Additional Scenes from the Parade and Downtown