Salem’s downtown holiday parade returns for its third year — this time on Black Friday.
There will be floats, dancing, hot cocoa, Buddy the Elf and Santa Claus.
In addition to the dazzling downtown lights and photos with holiday characters, the event is meant to raise awareness and support of Salem’s small businesses.
Here’s everything you need to know to go.
Route: Starts at the intersection of Northeast Court and Capitol Streets. Turns left on Northeast High Street. Then turns right onto State Street. Turns right onto Northeast Liberty Street. Ends at the intersection of Northeast Court and Liberty Streets.
Street closures: Starting at 4 p.m., Northeast Court Street, High Street, State Street and Northeast Liberty Street. Streets should reopen around 7:30-8 p.m. depending on activities after the parade.
Start time: 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 29. Lasts 45-60 minutes.
Weather: Slightly cloudy, temperature in the mid-high 30s, little to no chance of rain.
Participants: 46 groups are participating, including Casa de la Cultura Tlanese and Center 50+. Fifteen will have floats.
Lights hung downtown: 125,000.
Volunteers: 100 total for the event, 30-50 to set up lights downtown.
Highlights: Take photos with Buddy the Elf and Santa Claus, break into song and dance at the corner of Northeast Court and Commercial Streets or windowshop local businesses before Small Business Saturday.
This is the first year the holiday parade has been held on Black Friday, which is the day before Small Business Saturday.
TJ Sullivan, president of Salem Main Street Association, said the change to Black Friday was in the hope that parade attendees could window shop at local downtown stores Friday evening and return to shop Saturday.
The association exists, Sullivan said, to support “people who’ve sunk their entire life into their store,” like so many store owners in downtown Salem. The association has organized the parade since 2022.
The parade is also meant to celebrate the holiday season and make downtown magical, according to Sullivan.
To make it magical, around 40 volunteers have spent every weekend in November hanging up, replacing and fixing 125,000 lights around downtown. Sullivan said he estimates that volunteers spent around 250 hours working to make downtown “lighter.”
After the parade ends at the intersection of Northeast Court and Liberty Streets, people are free to wander and enjoy downtown or stay for the tree lighting, snacks and photos with Santa Claus. The tree lighting will be at the intersection of Northeast Court and Commercial Street and will take 15-30 minutes, Sullivan said.
People are welcome to take photos with Santa and Buddy the Elf from the classic movie “Elf.” There will also be hot cocoa and sweets for people to enjoy, along with the chance to sing and dance at the intersection of Northeast Court and Commercial Streets.
The hope for the parade, Sullivan said, is to bring people some joy as the holiday season starts.
Contact reporter Madeleine Moore: [email protected].
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Madeleine Moore is working as a reporter at Salem Reporter through the University of Oregon’s Charles Snowden internship program. She came to Salem after graduating from the University of Oregon in June 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
