76th Annual Christmas Parade & Santa's After Party

Please note, this is an application and does not guarantee admittance into the parade. You will only be charged after approval. The Parade starts at 2pm with Santa's After Party starting immediately after the parade (approximately 3:30pm). In the case of inclement weather, the parade may be held on December 14 in the afternoon.

Guidelines, Rules and Regulations

• We encourage floats to be decorated with the parade theme, “Winder's Three Ring Christmas".
• Please make sure your float has the name of the business or group represented attached in a visible manner.
• Floats MUST be fully decorated before you enter the staging area and no waste/items may be left in the staging area.
• All floats must arrive during their designated arrival time (assigned at required virtual meeting) and all floats must be in place by 1pm or you will not be permitted into the parade. 
• Adults MUST accompany children, youth organizations, school groups or any groups with children participating at all times.
• In order to ensure the safety of our children, throwing items into the crowd from a moving vehicle is prohibited. Candy may be handed out to parade attendees by walking alongside your float/entry.
• Entries are prohibited to stop to perform at any time during the parade. You MUST keep moving at all times.
• Inappropriate conduct is basis for automatic disqualification and removal from the parade. This includes, but is not limited to, endangering or the potential of endangering anyone along the parade route.
• All bike riders, skaters and equestrian riders must wear helmets and appropriate safety gear.
• All vehicles towing a unit must have safety chains between the pulling unit and the float. The float MUST be secured.
• Sound levels from floats must be kept at a reasonable level. Excessively loud music or noise that could disturb parade participants or attendees is prohibited. 
• Horse entries are required to supply clean-up crews (pooper-scoopers) to follow behind their unit. Waste clean-up in the staging area is REQUIRED. Horse groups are limited to six (6). Each rider under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Riders must provide a certified copy of the current 12month negative Coggins test before each horse can enter the staging area.
• Only registered floats and vehicles will be allowed in the staging area.
• Participants MUST be dropped off at another location than the staging area, and the group must walk to the staging area together. Parents are prohibited to drop off their children at the staging area.
• Walking units must be able to keep up with the speed of the parade and provide a banner/sign with the sponsor/group name.
• The parade route begin at Ingles on North Broad Street and continues down Broad Street and will turn left onto Athens Street towards Jug Tavern Park.
• No participants are allowed to sit on the edge of floats and/or have legs hanging over the side.
• No one under the age of 18 years old is allowed to drive any vehicle in the parade.
• No vehicles are to spin tires, rev engines or cause a commotion of any kind while participating in the parade.
• If this is violated, your entry will be removed from the parade. Vehicles must be street legal.
• Failure to comply with these regulations may result in disqualification and ejection from the parade.
• The Christmas Parade Committee reserves the right to make any changes and/or additions to these rules and regulations at any time without prior notice.
• No one may enter the parade dressed like Santa or representing Santa. The Christmas Parade Committee will sponsor Santa, and Santa is included in the parade each year. We do, however, encourage you to dress as elves, cartoon characters, the parade theme characters, etc. to fit the Christmas theme.

Required Parade Participant Training: All approved floats must have their designated day-of contact review the Parade Participant Information Packet and Survey. The packet will be sent one-two weeks before the parade. In this packet, we will review important information such as load-in instructions, the parade route, and procedures for the end of the parade. Failure to complete this requirement may result in disqualification from participating in the parade.

Winners: Winners will be voted on by the community! Signs with QR codes directing parade goers to the voting page will be located throughout the parade and on some parade vehicles/floats. Awards will be given to the top three entries based on voting scores. Winners will be notified by email the week after the event.

Deck the Paws - Pet Parade kicks off the Winder Christmas Parade in Winder, Georgia. Described as the pre-game show to the main event, dogs (and their owners) are encouraged to dress for the season and strut their stuff down Broad!

Our kid-powered parade rolls in just before the Winder Christmas Parade in downtown Winder, Georgia! Described as the warm-up act to the main event, little riders are invited to deck out their trikes, bikes, scooters, and wagons—and themselves—for a festive ride down Broad Street.

This application is for all business and retail vendors. An application does not guarantee acceptance.  Please allow two weeks for application processing. 

Vendor load-in will run from 11:30am-12:30pm and you may begin serving/selling as soon as you are setup. Due to limited space, vendors will be permitted to drive up to two vehicles into the event space for load-in. We ask that you unload your vehicles as quickly as possible, park your car outside of the event space, and then begin setting up your booth. The Christmas Parade will begin at 2pm and will end at Jug Tavern Park around 3:00pm. Santa's After Party will go until 5:30pm. 

This application is for food and non-alcoholic beverage vendors. An application does not guarantee acceptance. Please allow two weeks for application processing. 

Fire inspections are no longer required; however, all food trucks must sign a liability waiver once per season acknowledging they are solely responsible for the safety and operation of their equipment and releasing the City from any related claims. 

Food Vendor Check-in will run from 11:30am-12:30pm. You may begin serving as soon as you are setup and pass a fire inspection (if required).

The Christmas Parade will begin at 2pm and will end at Jug Tavern Park around 3pm. Santa's After Party will go until 5:30pm. 

• Wide variety of cold beer and wine
• Pour all drinks into a plastic, clear cup
• Purchase stickers from the City of Winder for each cup 
• 10x10 BRANDED tent (your tent must state "alcohol vendor") 
• Provide own table and chairs 
• At least two bartenders 
• Accept cash and credit card 
• Provide own power source 
• Llist of drinks and prices for attendees to view before getting in line
• List of drinks and prices at cash register 
• Valid State Alcohol License
• Local Alcohol Beverage License
• Valid Alcohol Beverage catering license
• Valid local catering event permit at least 1 month prior to the event (Issued by the City)