What: 2024 Town of Bluffton Christmas Parade
When: December 7th, 2024 @ 10:00 am
Where: Historic Downtown Bluffton
The Town of Bluffton hosts the 53rd annual Bluffton Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting. The tree-lighting ceremony will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, December 6th, 2024, and the Christmas parade will begin at 10:00 a.m. on December 7th, 2024.
Roads surrounding Martin Family Park and Dubois Park will be closed from 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM on Friday, December 6th, 2024.
The following roads will be closed:
-Boundary Street from Church Street to Green Street
-Green Street
-Lawrence Street from Boundary Street to Calhoun Street
-Lawton Street
Please use caution in the area and expect delays!
2024 Event Schedule Below
Bluffton’s Tree Lighting ceremony will begin at 5:30 p.m., Friday, December 6, at Martin Family Park, followed by Santa’s Workshop at DuBois Park’s Pavilion. The movie “Polar Express” will begin at 6:30 p.m. at Martin Family Park. Please bring blankets and/or chairs. Martin Family Park and DuBois Park are adjacent to each other on Boundary Street in the Historic District.
*NEW* This year, train rides will be available at the tree lighting from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The miniature train will take passengers around Martin and DuBois Parks. The Town’s Christmas tree lighting, Santa’s workshop and parade are the official kickoff to Bluffton’s holiday season.
The Town is also a proud sponsor of the second annual Menorah Lighting ceremony to its holiday event lineup. The Menorah Lighting will be held Sunday, December 29 from 5: 30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at Martin Family Park. This is a free, public event so together, the community can celebrate additional holiday traditions.
Weather:
Please dress accordingly and be prepared for whatever Mother Nature has planned. The parade happens rain or shine on the first Saturday of December, each year. It cannot be re-scheduled due to the intense planning and logistics it requires to produce the parade. The parade will only be cancelled if weather conditions are unsafe, such as a lighting hazard.
Viewing Options:
BCTV (Beaufort County TV), formerly known as The County Channel, will live stream and record the parade. You can see the parade via BCTV (https://www.beaufortcountysc.gov/bctv/) or You Tube (https://www.youtube.com/user/TheCountyChannel). Mark Robertson, radio personality of 98.7, “The River” radio station, and Debbie Szpanka, the Town’s public information officer, will anchor the parade broadcast.
Safety Reminders & Parade Rules:
NEW! Lost & Found Children Safety Station
Any children who have lost their parents or supervising adult, please go to the Town of Bluffton Tent in front of Town Hall (Address: 20 Bridge Street) from 7:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Town of Bluffton will be staffing the safety station for lost children from 7 a.m. – 10: 30 a.m. in front of the flagpole of Town Hall.
If anyone has a lost child, please call Lyndee Simoneaux, the Town’s special events manager, (843-540-1662).
If by 11:00 a.m., a parent has not been located, the child(ren) will be taken to a police officer at the Bluffton Police Department substation on May River Road (i.e., behind the parade judging stage.)
The child will remain with a Bluffton Police Department officer until the child is reunited with his or her family.
If you have lost a child, please call 9-1-1 or call Lyndee Simoneaux (843-540-1662)
Reminders:
Throwing candy or any item from a parade vehicle or float is prohibited.
People are allowed to walk alongside the parade entry and distribute items to the crowd. Please distribute candy/promotional items hand-to-hand by walking along the parade route next to the spectators. Spectators will not be allowed to run into the streets to grab items.
The Bluffton Police Department will be closing roads, Saturday, December 7 at 8:00 a.m., throughout the Historic District to Red Cedar Elementary for the Bluffton Christmas Parade. To prepare for the road closures, all vehicles parked along the parade route should be removed before 7:00 a.m. to avoid towing.
No parking will be allowed on any road along the parade route beginning at 7:00 a.m. Saturday, December 7. All vehicles parked along the parade route after 7:00 a.m. will be towed at the owner’s expense.
The roads along the parade route, which will close at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 7th include:
Bridge Street – Calhoun Street from Bridge to May River Road- May River Road from Calhoun Street to Pin Oak Street – Pin Oak Street from May River Road to 9th Avenue
Any questions, please contact Lyndee Simoneaux, special event manager, (email): [email protected]
Highlights of new parade applications & rules:
Entries are first come, first serve – please note there is a limit of 125 entries for the 2024 parade. It is advised to submit your application as soon as it is completed.
The Town is asking parade entrants to give a donation to the Mayor’s “Stay Safe, Bluffton!” Scholarship Fund, in lieu of a parade entry fee. Your donation will help fund scholarships for Bluffton’s students as well as support the Town’s safe driving campaign, to reduce/eliminate vehicle causalities and fatalities in our Town.
Please donate an amount of your choice via: https://lowcountry.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=1796
The Community Foundation of the Lowcountry, a non-profit organization, manages these funds and donations are tax-deductible.
Donating, in lieu of an entry fee, is an effort to streamline the application process and use the spirit of the Christmas Parade to help our neighbors remain safe year-around.
Throwing of candy or any item from parade vehicle or float is prohibited.
People are allowed to walk alongside the parade entry and distribute items to crowd. Please distribute candy/promotional items hand-to-hand by walking along the parade route next to the spectators. Spectators will not be allowed to run into the streets to grab items.
Applications are due November 8, 2024. The parade application is available via the Town of Bluffton’s website: https://www.townofbluffton.sc.gov/FormCenter/Town-15/Town-of-Bluffton-Christmas-Parade-Applic-93
The application period is from October 2, 2024 – November 8, 2024.
If you have any questions, please contact Lyndee Simoneaux, special event manager, (email): [email protected]
The deadline for parade applications is November 8, 2024. Note: If you need a hardcopy application, they are available at Town Hall’s Front Desk (20 Bridge Street, Bluffton).
Bluffton’s Christmas tree lighting and parade events are always the first Friday and Saturday of December, rain or shine. The event will only be canceled if the Town of Bluffton deems weather conditions unsafe.
