When does the Independence Christmas Walk start? The City of Independence calendar lists Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. That's when the lighted parade and the walk begin. The day itself starts about five hours earlier, at 1:00 p.m., when the Santa 5K Fun Run leaves Independence Fire Station #1 at 1980 Delaware Crossing.
The calendar listing sets the end of the day. The planning starts sooner, and two of the deadlines fall in November.
The Clock Starts at Fire Station #1
The Santa 5K Fun Run is the Christmas Walk's afternoon opener. Peter Family Dentistry sponsors it. Every registration includes a race T-shirt and a swag bag, the top finishers in several age groups win prizes, and runners are encouraged to wear holiday costumes.
The race starts and finishes at the firehouse and runs down the southbound lane of Old Madison, turning around between Aristocrat and the Post Office. The race page links a MapMyRide preview with mile markers and elevation. In early November, the registration page showed 258 spots left. The 2025 race was capped at the first 300 registrants.
The race is run by the Independence Business Association. In 2024, NKyTribune reported that the run is one of the association's main fundraisers and that the money goes back into the community. The same story described a group that ran as eight reindeer and Rudolph, and First Watch serving pancakes at the firehouse after the race.
Four Dates That Come Before December 5
Most people treat the Christmas Walk as a show-up-that-evening event. The 5K and the parade both have deadlines that run on their own schedule, and the first one is Friday, November 13.
- Friday, November 13. Last day to register online and still be guaranteed your shirt size.
- Monday, November 30, 11:59 p.m. The $30 pre-registration price ends. Shirts aren't guaranteed for anyone who registers after this.
- Thursday, December 3. Online 5K registration costs $35 from December 1 through December 3, and December 3 is also the deadline for parade entries.
- Friday, December 4, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Packet pickup for shirts, bibs and swag bags at Tri-State Running Co., 148 Barnwood Dr. in Edgewood.
Race-day registration costs $40. Registering now instead of at the start line saves $10 and gets you the shirt size you want. Picking up your packet in Edgewood on Friday also leaves Saturday afternoon free for the race itself.
What Filled the Hours Between the Race and the Parade in 2025
The city's 2025 Christmas Walk listing scheduled events from the 1 p.m. race through to the 6 p.m. parade:
| Time | 2025 program | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1:00 p.m. | Santa's 5K Fun Run | Fire Station #1 |
| 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. | Strolling Santa | Courthouse Square |
| 1:00 to 9:00 p.m. | Christmas Market | Courthouse Square |
| 1:00 to 9:00 p.m. | Ice rink | Donna Yeager Amphitheater |
| 5:45 p.m. | Tree Lighting Ceremony | Courthouse Square |
| 6:00 p.m. | Lighted Christmas Parade | Madison Pike |
| 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. | Christmas Walk | Independence Christian Church to Senior & Community Center |
The listing also added rink hours the night before and the day after: Friday, December 5, 2025, from 6 to 9 p.m., and Sunday, December 7, from noon to 4 p.m. The synthetic rink first appeared at the 2024 walk, at 40 by 48 feet, according to NKyTribune's 2024 preview. The paper's 2025 holiday roundup said it was back by popular demand and free to skate.
The 2025 roundup also listed a few things around the edges of the main day. The American Legion Honor Guard and the Independence Freedom Singers were on the program before the tree lighting. The Independence Business Association collected toys for the Steinford Toy Foundation, with drop-off points at Jude's Custom Exhaust, Auto Repair and Towing, Anytime Fitness, Independence Cleaners and the City Building. On Sunday, December 7, the senior center hosted Selfies with Santa and the Grinch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The market went through the same change the town center did. In 2024, NKyTribune reported that the Christmas market was moving into the new open-air farmers market pavilion that had just been built on the courthouse grounds. The 2026 calendar listing asks vendors who want to take part this year to contact the city by email.
A Parade Designed for After Dark
The 6 p.m. parade gets the calendar slot because it's the biggest piece of the day. NKyTribune's 2024 preview said the Christmas parade had grown to 45 to 50 floats plus jeeps. The same story mentioned the Simon Kenton band, Boy Scouts lighting fire barrels along the road to keep spectators warm, and Santa and Mrs. Claus at the city building after the parade.
For 2026, the City of Independence and the Independence Business Association have posted the parade guidelines. Lineup starts at 4:30 p.m. at Summit View Academy, and every entry has to be in place and ready by 5:30. The parade then heads south on Madison Pike through town and ends at Simon Kenton High School.
The 2026 entry rules include these requirements.
- Entries are encouraged to "go BIG" with Christmas lights, and LEDs are recommended because they draw less power and allow more lights.
- Nothing can be thrown from vehicles or floats, candy included, so spectators and children stay out of the roadway.
- Everyone walking in the parade has to carry their own light source.
- The only live Santa allowed in the parade is the official one sponsored by the City of Independence.
The no-throwing rule changes where kids can watch from. With no candy landing in the street, there's no reason to crowd the curb. Families can stand back from the road along Madison Pike and still see every float. For groups thinking about entering, the light requirement shapes the plan more than anything else. A float that looks good at 2 p.m. but has no lights won't show up at 6 p.m. in December.
Questions about entries go to Arron Cope with the city at [email protected] or (859) 363-2941.
Putting the Whole Saturday Together
Here's how the confirmed 2026 schedule fits together:
- Friday, December 4: Pick up your 5K packet in Edgewood between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
- 1:00 p.m. Saturday: Santa 5K starts at Fire Station #1 on Delaware Crossing, with the course running down Old Madison.
- 4:30 p.m.: Parade entries start lining up at Summit View Academy.
- 5:30 p.m.: All entries in place.
- 6:00 p.m.: The lighted parade starts down Madison Pike, and the Christmas Walk runs until 9:00 p.m.
Those five hours are what the 6-to-9 listing leaves out. In the last two years, the afternoon was when the market opened, Santa walked Courthouse Square and the rink was open at the Donna Yeager Amphitheater. The 5:45 tree lighting led straight into the parade. Anyone planning to run, skate, shop or get a good spot for the tree lighting has a day that starts after lunch. Updates for this year's walk are on the City of Independence calendar, and the race team posts on its Santa5KRun Facebook page.
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