On Saturday, December 12, Newnan's Christmas Parade steps off at 6 p.m. from Newnan High School on LaGrange Street and heads north. It ends just past the Temple Avenue and Clark Street intersection near the University of West Georgia Newnan campus. For the past several Decembers, the parade started up by UWG Newnan and Dunc's BBQ and finished at Salbide Avenue, close to Greenville Street Park. That's nearly the exact reverse.
The reason has nothing to do with the theme, which is "Candy Cane Lane" this year. Newnan's parade route follows its staging lot, and the lot has moved. That move decides which curb sees the first float and which sees the last, and it's also why the City of Newnan created a new award for the houses along the route.
The route follows the lot
Over the past few years, the parade has started wherever the floats could line up. Pull the route descriptions from city press releases, as republished by Winters Media and The Newnan Times-Herald, and you get this:
| Year | Where it started | Where it ended |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | LaGrange Street, moving with traffic, then north on Greenville Street | Left onto North Court Square |
| 2022 | Clark Street and Jackson Street | LaGrange Street, just before Greenville Street Park at Salbide Avenue |
| 2024 | LaGrange Street and Cavender Street, by UWG Campus and Dunc's BBQ | Salbide Avenue |
| 2025 | Cavender Street and Jackson Street at the UWG campus, running south | Salbide Avenue |
| 2026 | Newnan High School, running north on LaGrange Street | Just north of Temple Avenue and Clark Street, near UWG Newnan |
The 2022 notice from Winters Media shows how the north-end start worked. Floats lined up in the parking lot next to and behind Dunc's BBQ at 98 Jackson Street, and walking groups gathered at the UWG Newnan campus. Starting at the north end meant the procession ran south into downtown. In 2025, Winters Media reported the city's wording directly: the parade would "run south down Jackson Street into downtown Newnan and end at Salbide Avenue."
Starting at the high school isn't new, either. An earlier Times-Herald account described a parade that stepped off at Newnan High School on LaGrange Street, circled the Historic Courthouse, and went down Greenville Street to the Coweta County Justice Center. That's why the Times-Herald calls this year a return.
Why the city went back to the high school
According to The Newnan Times-Herald's report on the council meeting, the Christmas Parade Committee recommended the change because the property used for staging in recent years might change ownership or stop being available. City officials said moving to city-controlled property gives a predictable staging area and helps with traffic and emergency planning. Council approved it unanimously.
The city's 2026 parade registration page shows what that looks like on parade day:
- Floats line up on Armory Road at Newnan High School, 190 LaGrange Street.
- Walking groups gather at the bus loop on Armory Road.
- Participants can arrive starting at 9 a.m. on December 12.
- Floats have to be in line by 4 p.m., when judging starts.
- Everyone else arrives by 5 p.m., when the staging lot closes to more vehicles and participants.
So the south end of LaGrange Street will be busy all day. Floats will be pulling onto Armory Road hours before the 6 p.m. start, and judging happens at the high school, not at the finish line.
What the flip means from the curb
The first float now comes from the high school end. It reaches downtown and the courthouse square partway through and keeps going north toward Temple Avenue. For anyone who has watched from the same spot for years, everything shifts:
- Near Salbide Avenue and Greenville Street Park: This used to be where the parade ended. Now it's close to where it starts, so the first entries pass by soon after 6 p.m., and the end of the parade gets here earlier than it used to.
- Downtown and the square: This is still the middle of the route, but the floats now come up from the south instead of down from the north.
- Near UWG Newnan and Dunc's BBQ: This used to be the starting end of the route. Now it's close to the finish line around Temple Avenue and Clark Street, so the last entry of the night arrives here.
There's also one parking change right in the middle of downtown. Parking on West Court Square between West Washington and West Broad streets will be closed from 2 a.m. to 10 p.m. on December 12. If you usually park on the square and walk to your spot, you'll need another plan that evening.
A new prize for the homes along the route
Staging at the high school puts more of LaGrange Street on the route, and the city is making the most of it. Along with the usual awards, which are Grand Champion, the Candy Cane Lane Award, Rudolph's Choice, Santa's Little Helper, and the Christmas Crowd Favorite picked by a social media vote, the city's press release adds a "Spirit of Newnan" award. It goes to the home on the updated route that best represents community, hometown pride, and the Christmas spirit.
So for the first time, the people who live along the route are part of the competition. Their porches, yards, and lights are being judged next to the floats driving past them. Mayor Shepherd's comments in the city's September 9 announcement make it clear what the city has in mind:
"There's nothing quite like a cold December night downtown, the sidewalks full, kids waving at every float that goes by. I'm looking forward to getting into the Christmas spirit with everybody, and I hope every church, school, team, and business that's ever thought about entering signs up this year."
That invitation stays open until 5 p.m. on December 4, when applications are due. The entry fee is $45 for an organization's main float or vehicle and $15 for each additional one. The fee doesn't apply to motorcycle clubs, car clubs, or jeep clubs. The committee is led by Stephanie Beck, City Hall administrative specialist, and Andrew Moody, special projects manager. For groups that have only ever lined up behind Dunc's BBQ, the city is holding optional information meetings on Wednesday, December 9, in the City Hall Council Chambers at 25 LaGrange Street, at noon, 3 p.m., and 6 p.m. Staging, the route, and safety rules are all on the agenda.
The rest of the parade week downtown
The parade wraps up a busy stretch in downtown Newnan:
| Date | What's happening |
|---|---|
| Friday, Dec. 4, 4 to 9 p.m. | The 2026 Newnan Christmas Tour of Homes, organized by Newnan Presbyterian School, listed at Downtown Newnan, 200 Court Square |
| Friday, Dec. 4, 5 p.m. | Parade applications due |
| Saturday, Dec. 5, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Market Day downtown, on the city calendar |
| Wednesday, Dec. 9 | Optional parade participant meetings at City Hall |
| Saturday, Dec. 12, 2 a.m. | West Court Square parking closes |
| Saturday, Dec. 12, 6 p.m. | Parade steps off from Newnan High School |
If you'd like more ideas for the weekends around it, our roundup of what's new to eat and do in downtown Newnan covers the restaurants close to the route, and our Newnan neighborhood page has more on the streets the parade runs through.
If your home is on the new route and you're thinking about going for the Spirit of Newnan award, or you're trying to work out how a parade-route address changes what it's like to live on LaGrange Street, I'd love to hear from you. Newnan is one of the communities I'm most grateful to serve, and Vicki Morris is always happy to talk about these blocks. Schedule your personal consultation, and I'll see you on the curb on December 12.
