Last December, downtown Washington Court House spread its holidays across ten days. The courthouse trees were lit on a Thursday night, December 4, in 15-degree weather. The Christmas Parade came down Court Street that Sunday, December 7. Main Street Fayette's Downtown Live! waited until the following Saturday, December 13.

This year all three fall on the first weekend of December. The tree lighting, Downtown Live! and the parade now run back to back between Friday, December 4 and Sunday, December 6. One weekend covers what took three separate trips downtown in 2025.

How the dates moved

Moving Downtown Live! up a week is what pulls it all together. Last year it sat on its own, six days after the parade. This year it lands the night before the parade, on the same weekend as the tree lighting. Fayette County Travel & Tourism keeps all three on its events calendar, along with a few smaller events that also fall that weekend.

Thanksgiving morning comes first

The stretch starts a week early, on Civic Drive. The Fayette County Family YMCA holds its 18th annual Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning, November 26. Runners start at 9 a.m. from 100 Civic Dr., and prizes are handed out at 10 a.m. You can walk, jog or run, and registration is $15 per person through the Programs tab at faycoymca.org. In the YMCA's own words, it's a way to stay active and "justify the pie."

From there, it's eight days to the first weekend of December. If you have family in town for Thanksgiving, the timing works out. The Trot is the last community event before the holiday weekend downtown.

Saturday runs from the museum to Main Street

Saturday, December 5, is the busiest day, and it starts before any lights go on. Here is how the day lines up:

1. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Fayette County Historical Society's annual Christmas Cookie Sale at the Fayette County Museum, 517 Columbus Ave.
2. 4 to 8 p.m. Downtown Live!, hosted by Main Street Fayette and based at 105 N. Main St.

The museum is on Columbus Avenue, which is also part of Sunday's parade route, so Saturday's errands and Sunday's parade cover much of the same ground. Cookies from the morning sale will hold until the afternoon, and Downtown Live! starts about two hours after the sale closes.

Main Street Fayette describes Downtown Live! as its annual Christmas event downtown. The group hasn't posted this year's full lineup yet, and its upcoming events page is the place to watch.

The trees are the part the town builds

The third annual Light Up the Season tree lighting is set for 5:30 p.m. on the Courthouse lawn at 110 E. Court St. Fayette County Travel & Tourism lists it as the kickoff to the holiday season downtown. The highlight of the evening is lighting trees sponsored by local businesses, organizations and individuals. Check the tourism calendar for the exact evening before you go.

Last year shows why the trees draw a crowd. The Record-Herald reported that 31 tree entries were lit at 6:15 p.m. in front of a crowd lining Court and Main streets. The entries came from all over town:

• Whit's Frozen Custard topped its tree with the shop's penguin in a Santa hat.
• S&D Family Tire & Auto built a tree out of tires painted green, then added garland, ribbon and a star.
• Home Sweet Bakery, Two Scoops of Sugar, Starlight Pizza/Level Up Arcade and Military Chow Hall all claimed spaces.
• Community groups took spaces too, including the Cub Scouts, VFW 3762 Auxiliary, Ohio State University Extension Fayette County and Second Chance Center of Hope.

According to the same Record-Herald report, Santa and Mrs. Claus posed for photos among the trees. Fayette County Box 65 volunteers set up on Main Street with free hot chocolate. Vinyl Coffee, at the corner of Court and Main, stayed open during the lighting with coffee and hot chocolate.

The trees go up together and are lit at once, but they stay on the lawn afterward. In 2025, people coming to the parade three days later could stop and look at them up close. This year the gap between the lighting and the parade is one or two days, and Downtown Live! fills the night in between.

Sunday's route, turn by turn

The Washington Court House Christmas Parade runs Sunday, December 6, from 3 to 5 p.m. It is presented by Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks Lodge 129 and organized by the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce. The Record-Herald's October report says the parade follows its traditional route:

1. Participants line up starting at 1 p.m. in the Washington Middle and High School parking lot, 400 S. Elm St.
2. The parade steps off at 3 p.m. on Elm Street near McDonald's.
3. It turns left onto Columbus Avenue.
4. It travels down Court Street.
5. It finishes on Circle Avenue at McHenry Field.

Because the route runs down Court Street, the parade passes the Courthouse lawn and the trees lit that weekend. Entry is free for groups and for spectators.

Last year's parade gives a good idea of what comes down that street. The Record-Herald's photo coverage showed Santa arriving on the Washington Court House Fire Department ladder truck. The Blue Lion Marching Band from Washington High School and the Miami Trace Marching Band both marched. WCH Grace Methodist Church brought a Gingerbread House float, The Gathering Place Church brought a kids' recognition float, and plenty of entrants tossed candy to children along the curb.

Getting a float in

Parade entries are open until November 30, and registration is free for floats, walking groups, marching bands and decorated vehicles. Businesses can also sponsor the parade at three levels. Block Sponsors give $500, Grandstand Sponsors $1,000 and the Grand Finale Sponsor $2,500. Details are on the Chamber's 2026 Christmas Parade listing.

If your church, scout troop or team marched last year, you'll have the parade and two other downtown events on the same weekend this time. Plenty of groups will spend that weekend on Court Street.

The weekend at a glance

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