Back on Broad
Rome’s Christmas Parade returns to its familiar route Tuesday night
Rome’s Christmas parade returns to Broad Street Tuesday starting at 6:30 p.m.
This year’s parade will be the first on Broad Street since 2019. In 2020, the parade had a drive-through format due to the COVID-19 pandemic and took place at State Mutual Stadium.
“We see a lot of families lining Broad Street every year,” Parade Grand Marshall Doug Walker said. “It’ll be wonderful to see the smiles on the children’s faces. That is always one of the biggest crowds on Broad Street for any event. Rome is ready to usher in the holidays.”
The theme for the parade this year is “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.” The route begins on East First Avenue and will finish at the City Auditorium on Broad Street. East First Avenue will close at 4:30 p.m. to allow the 78 floats involved in the parade to line up and be judged at 5:30 p.m.
From then, the side streets will be shut down from East First Avenue all the way to Glenn Milner Boulevard.
Once the parade is underway, Broad Street will also be shut down.
Parade co-chair Janet Byington encourages people to come downtown to shop and eat before the parade begins. Byington added that this year’s parade will feature floats, six bands, schnauzers and even a camera crew.
Scenes from a movie will be filmed during the Christmas parade. So parade-goers can expect to see filming equipment and cameras getting shots of the Rome Christmas Parade — and particularly Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Byington even revealed that the Atlanta Braves organization would have a special entry in this year’s parade.
Parking is free after 5 p.m. at the decks on Fourth, Fifth and Sixth avenues and in the public lots on East First Street.