The 82nd Charles Town-Ranson Christmas Parade steps off at 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 5, 2026. This year's theme is "A Storybook Christmas," and groups that want to march have until Friday, November 13 to register. Scout troops, church groups, businesses and fire companies that want a spot need their paperwork in by then.
The application runs through Ranson, the parade has started in Ranson in past years, and its afternoon time slot is what the rest of the first weekend of December gets planned around. City Lights, a musical at the Old Opera House and two late shows at the casino all fit around it.
The paperwork runs through Ranson's office
The 2026 participation application lists one contact, Debbie McClure, at a ransonwv.us email address. It also sets a few firm rules for entries:
"Please note that NO Santas are allowed in the parade. Once the parade line-up is released, no modifications will be made."
That's from the 2026 Charles Town/Ranson Christmas Parade Participation Application. In coverage of an earlier parade, the Spirit of Jefferson identified her as director of the Ranson Convention and Visitors Bureau and reported the street closures and parking plans she announced.
The no-Santa rule means floats can't bring their own. A float built around "A Storybook Christmas" has plenty of characters to pick from, as long as none of them wears the red suit.
The two cities don't list the parade quite the same way. The City of Ranson's event page runs it from 2 to 5 p.m. The Charles Town Now listing gives a 2 to 6 p.m. window. Both start at 2. The end time depends on how many entries register and where you're standing on the route.
Where the parade travels, and what's still open for 2026
The 2026 route hasn't been published yet. The most recent clear description comes from the Spirit of Jefferson's 2024 holiday events roundup. That year the parade started near the Independent Volunteer Fire Co. in Ranson, came down George Street, and continued through Charles Town on West Washington Street, a 2 p.m. march "through the downtowns of both cities."
An older, undated Spirit of Jefferson article adds more color from a year when the parade started at 3 p.m. McClure said parking was barred along the route from Mildred Street to Washington Street. George and Washington streets in Charles Town closed at 2:30 p.m., and Mildred and Fairfax streets in Ranson followed at 2:45. Santa appeared on the rooftop of United Bank at 106 W. Washington St. Families picking up children who marched were asked to park at the Ranson Civic Center, 431 W. Second Ave., by 2:30 and meet them afterward at the former Dixie-Narco lot.
Those times were built around a later start. With a 2 p.m. step-off in 2026, any closures would logically come earlier too. Wait for the official notice before planning around a specific time.
| Detail | Status for 2026 |
|---|---|
| Date and step-off | Confirmed: Saturday, Dec. 5, 2 p.m. |
| Theme | Confirmed: "A Storybook Christmas" |
| Entry deadline | Confirmed: Friday, Nov. 13 |
| Santas as entries | Not allowed |
| Route | Not yet published; 2024 ran Ranson to George Street to West Washington Street |
| Road closures and parking | Not yet published |
| Rain date | Not yet published |
For updates, the older article pointed readers to the Ranson and Charles Town city websites. Those are still the places to watch: ransonwv.gov and the City of Charles Town's holiday page.
Friday night happens on the Charles Town end
The parade starts in Ranson. The night before belongs to downtown Charles Town. City Lights runs Friday, December 4, from 6 to 10 p.m. in the Downtown Charles Town Historic District, with Santa welcomed and the city "lit up." The city's own holiday page lists it as "Merry & Bright City Lights."
The 2026 listing doesn't spell out the program. In 2024, the Friday event was the community Christmas tree lighting at 6 p.m. in front of the Jefferson County Courthouse at Washington and George streets, according to the Spirit of Jefferson. That corner sits on the stretch of West Washington Street where the 2024 parade finished, so Friday and Saturday share the same block, about twenty hours apart.
Planning Saturday around 2 p.m.
With the parade fixed at 2 p.m., the evening has room for a second outing, and several venues have scheduled one. Here's how the weekend lays out from Thursday through Sunday:
- Thursday, Dec. 3: The Old Opera House Theatre Company opens Annie at 204 N. George St. Check the curtain time on the theater's page when you book, since its listings give both 7 and 7:30 p.m. for opening night.
- Friday, Dec. 4, 6 p.m.: City Lights begins downtown and runs until 10. Annie plays again at 7:30. At Hollywood Casino's Event Center, Tom Segura performs at 8 p.m., 21 and over.
- Saturday, Dec. 5, 2 p.m.: The Charles Town-Ranson Christmas Parade steps off. Annie follows at 7:30 p.m., and Juvenile plays the Event Center at 8 p.m., also 21 and over.
- Sunday, Dec. 6, 2:30 p.m.: The Annie matinee. The show comes back December 11 through 13.
The Old Opera House is on North George Street, the same street the 2024 parade used to get from Ranson into Charles Town. A family could watch the parade along George Street that afternoon and be back on the same street for the 7:30 curtain. Both casino shows are 21 and over, so they work for adults on a night out, not for families with parade-age kids.
In 2024, the day started earlier on the Ranson side with a Breakfast with Santa from 7 to 11 a.m. in the social hall at the Independent Fire Co. Nothing for 2026 has been posted yet, but it's worth watching for, since it took place right where the parade started.
The weekend before is about downtown shops
A week earlier, the focus moves to Charles Town's storefronts. Small Business Saturday is November 28, running 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Downtown Charles Town Historic District. The Charles Town Now listing suggests starting with breakfast at a local restaurant and then shopping downtown. That puts the downtown shopping day on Thanksgiving weekend and the parade the following Saturday, so there are two separate weekends of downtown events.
The night before, Friday, November 27, comedian Gary Owen brings his No Hard Feelings Tour to the Event Center for shows at 7 and 9:30 p.m., 21 and over.
What fills November before then
The first half of November is busy in its own right, and one weekend stands out:
- Friday through Sunday, Nov. 6 to 8: The Price Is Right Live plays Hollywood Casino's Event Center at 8 p.m. Friday, at 3:30 and 8 p.m. Saturday, and at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, 21 and over.
- Saturday, Nov. 7, 7:30 p.m.: Dreams plays a free release concert for its CD Within Reach at the Old Opera House.
- Sunday, Nov. 8, 2 p.m.: Happy Retreat presents "Blue Moon – The Music of Rodgers & Hart," with the Robert Sykes Trio and vocalist Karen Gray. Tickets are $25.
- Friday, Nov. 13: Kameron Marlowe plays the Event Center at 8 p.m., the same day parade registration closes. Twisted Sister featuring Sebastian Bach follows on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 8 p.m. Both shows are 21 and over.
- Saturday, Nov. 21: Wheeler Walker Jr. brings Pullin Out: The Farewell Tour to the Event Center at 8 p.m., 21 and over.
For groups thinking about a float, November 13 is the date that counts. After that the lineup is set, and the city websites are the place to watch for the route and closures before the 2 p.m. step-off.
At Talbot Greenya Group, we enjoy watching Charles Town and Ranson come together for this weekend every year, and we're happy to share what we know about the community when you're ready. If a move is on your 2027 calendar, the parade weekend is a good time to start the conversation. Get your instant home valuation or schedule a consultation, and we'll help you plan around the dates that matter to you.
