First Town Christmas Parade

Dec. 4 on FIS FMS, Farragut High drives, parking lots

A small group of women is hoping to add a new tradition to Farragut’s upcoming holiday season by offering the inaugural Farragut Christmas Parade at 4 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 4.

The Parade will be held on Knox County Schools grounds on the drives and parking lots of three Farragut public schools fed by West End Avenue (Farragut Middle and Farragut Primary) and West End. Lendon Welch Way and North Campbell Station Road (Farragut High).

The event is being led by committee co-chairs Mandy Alexander Kincaid, Farragut Primary School kindergarten teacher, and long-time schools volunteer Mary Nussbaum, both of whom serve together on the Town’s Education Relations Committee. Additional Christmas parade committee members include fellow ERC members Michelle Morrow, Stephanie Thompson and Wendy Stiles, along with Avery Hardman, Sam Williams, Meg Brown, Taylor Clement, Jessica Capps, Lauren Mack and Toni Scott.

“Since it’s the inaugural parade, we are starting out small,” said Kincaid, who had been advocating for the event for several years and noted entries are capped at 35. “Our kids deserve some Christmas fun, and we wanted to do something just for Farragut.”

Nussbaum said they met with Town Parks and Recreation director Sue Stuhl and some of her staff during the parade’s planning stages.

While all entries have not been finalized, a guest appearance by Santa and Mrs. Claus is expected to close out the parade, which is not the only highlight, as the event also will offer vendors in the interior portion of the high school parking lot, where “Christmas Village Shopping” can take place from 3 to 6 p.m.

Organizers also are expecting food truck vendors.

Those interested in being a vendor are asked to e-mail  farragutchristmasvendors@gmail.com/, while those interesting in entering the parade are asked to e-mail farragutchristmasparade@gmail.com. Deadline is Friday, Nov. 18. For more information, visit the Farragut Christmas Parade page on Facebook.