City of Eatonton Christmas Parade Application

Eatonton Main Street and the City of Eatonton invite you to participate in our annual Christmas Parade through Downtown Eatonton. There is no entry fee for the parade, but you must submit an application and be approved to participate. Rules & Guidelines are included below; please read them carefully, and don’t hesitate to call with questions. 

The parade will follow the city’s set parade route, which starts and ends at the Eatonton Municipal Complex, which is the former Putnam County Elementary School on S. Washington Ave. The parade will impact Jefferson, Washington, Madison, Marion, Sumter and Wayne streets, as well as intersecting streets.

Floats/vehicles/walking groups/etc. will check-in at the Eatonton Municipal Complex, which is the former Putnam County Elementary School, 314 S. Washington Ave beginning at 4:30 p.m. Use the entrance away from S. Jefferson Ave. to enter the parking lot. After check in, floats and vehicles will stage in the driveway and parking lot of the school. All parade participants must be in line by 5:30 p.m. to participate. Floats must be finished and riders must be on floats by 5:30 p.m.

The Route. The parade will begin AND end at the Eatonton Municipal Complex, which is the former Putnam County Elementary School, 314 S. Washington Ave. Participants will proceed out of the parking lot, turn right onto S. Washington Ave, and left onto S Jefferson Ave. The parade will cross Sumter and Marion, and turn left onto W. Wayne St. It will then turn left onto N. Madison Ave., right onto Marion, and left onto S. Washington, heading back to the school. Please review the attached map to acquaint yourself with the route.

Spacing. Parade entries must maintain one car length spacing between vehicles.

Keep Moving. The parade must keep moving forward–try to leave no more than one car length between vehicles.

Licensed and insured drivers only. All motorized vehicles and anything being towed by a motorized vehicle must be insured and must be driven by a licensed and insured driver.

Height limit. Floats should not exceed 16 feet in height.

Sharp turn ahead! Large vehicles or vehicles pulling floats need to confirm their ability to turn left/right safely at ALL turns in the parade route. We recommend driving the route as soon as possible with your vehicle/float to ensure it’s drivable for your entry.

Animals in the parade. Entrants with animals must have a clean-up system to ensure proper disposal of animal waste. Please include cleanup plan with registration form. Please ensure the safety of others and your animals at all times.

The parade will proceed as planned, rain or shine, unless the weather is severe. Any cancellations or delays would be posted on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DowntownEatontonGA/ and on the Downtown Eatonton Main Street website at www.downtowneatonton.com.

Parking. Any vehicle NOT entered in the parade may NOT park at the school or on S. Washington.

Theme. All parade participants are asked to created their entry around the parade’s them. This is not a requirement; however, it is highly encouraged.

I have read and agree to observe the event Rules and Regulations as stated in this application. Participants shall indemnify and save harmless the Eatonton Main Street, its officers, agents, servants and employees, from and against any and all claims, demands, actions, suits and any type of proceeding by others, and against all liability to others, arising from any and all allegations of negligence or willful misconduct of Participants, its officers, agents, servants, employees and subcontractors, related in any way to the performance of the Agreement, including, but not limited to, any liability for damages by reason of or arising out of any failure of Participants to secure proper licenses, bonds, insurance coverage for Participants and Eatonton Main Street or the like, and against any loss, cost, expense, and damages resulting there from. Participants expressly agrees that this duty of indemnification includes providing a complete defense to Eatonton Main Street and paying Eatonton Main Street’s reasonable attorney's fees and expenses. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to constitute a waiver by Eatonton Main Street of its governmental immunity.