Newport Christmas Parade 2020

The Newport Christmas parade will be held Thursday, December 10, 2020 beginning at 6 p.m. Entries are now being accepted at the Newport Area Chamber of Commerce for floats, walking groups, antique vehicles, beauty queens, horseback riders, school clubs and organizations, etc.

The Arkansas Department of Health will require physical distancing of at least six feet between family groups and face coverings are required when physical distancing cannot be easily achieved including those who plan to enter the parade as a participant. Please do not attend if you:

• Have fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat or loss of taste or smell
• If you have had known exposure to someone with Covid in the past 14 days

Spectators may consider not attending if you are 65 years or older or if you have underlying health conditions including high blood pressure, chronic lung disease, diabetes, severe obesity, asthma or weakened immunity.

For anyone wishing to throw candy, hand sanitizer must be applied prior to the parade. Sanitizer will be provided by the Chamber of Commerce in the line up area.

Participants will be traveling down Hwy. 69 to Malcolm Avenue then down to Village Mall parking lot. Spectators are asked to avoid standing near other groups along the route. Awards will be given for first, second and third place for both the commercial and non-commercial categories. Entry is free, and participants may choose their own holiday theme. However, Santa Claus will be flying in early from the North Pole as the last entry in the parade, so please do not plan a “fake” Santa on your float.  Float judging will begin at approximately 5:30 p.m. Please include the name of your business or organization somewhere on your float for faster judging.

Line up will be held in the parking lot across from Riceland Foods no sooner than 5 p.m. (McLain and Hwy. 69). Walkers and dance groups should line up on the Riceland side of Hwy. 69. Vehicles that are entered in the parade are to enter the parking lot from McLain Street and face toward Hwy. 69. There will be a line up crew on hand. The line up area will be very crowded. Those who are driving vehicles that will not be in the parade are asked to find parking on the Riceland side of Hwy. 69 and walk across to the line up area. If dropping off a parade participant, please do not enter the parking lot.

Entry forms are now available at the Chamber office or online at www.newportarchamber.org.  Completed forms may be faxed to 523-1055, dropped off at the Chamber at 201 Hazel Street, or emailed to director@newportarchamber.org.

2020 parade entry form

In the event of inclement weather, parade participants will be notified of an alternate date.

Julie Allen, PCED
Executive Director
Newport Area Chamber of Commerce
201 Hazel Street
Newport, AR 72112
(870) 523-3618