"There's so much going on but I never hear any fighting because everything is free," Laura Rodgers, co-chair of the Clarkston Christmas Market, told The Clarkston News last December.
The market and parade come back on Saturday, December 12, 2026. The City of the Village of Clarkston's market fills Depot Park from 4 to 8 p.m., and Team RUSH's Clarkston Holiday Lights Parade steps off at 6. The parade starts at a school, runs down Main Street and finishes at a church, and that church is where Santa ends up and the tree gets lit. If you plan the night around that last stop, the rest falls into place.
The market gets a two-hour head start
The two events were planned to go together. Coverage of the 2025 market said it "runs alongside the Clarkston Holiday Lights," with the parade cruising Main Street at 6 p.m. the same night. Mayor Pro Tem Rodgers gave the city council an update on 2026 planning back in July. The 2025 market was the fourth annual edition, which makes this year's the fifth since Rodgers and co-chair Amy Wilson revived it.
Here's how the evening lines up, using the organizers' published times:
- 4:00 p.m. The market opens at Depot Park, 375 Depot Rd. Parade floats start arriving at Renaissance High School and the Community Education Building, 6558 Waldon Rd.
- 4:30 p.m. Parade riders and walkers check in.
- 4:45 to 5:25 p.m. Judges walk the staged floats. Cash awards go to the Most Creative STEM Float, Best Overall Parade Entry, and a Clarkston Pride Award for a Clarkston Schools program.
- 6:00 p.m. The parade begins.
- After the parade Santa, a tree lighting, cookies and hot chocolate at Calvary Lutheran Church, 6805 Bluegrass Dr.
- 8:00 p.m. The market closes.
That leaves two hours of daylight-into-dusk at Depot Park before the first float moves. The 2026 event guide lists pop-up shops, a greens market, Christmas carolers, and free hayrides, s'mores, games and a visit with Santa for kids. Last year Santa sat in the gazebo, and Rodgers estimated more than 500 people came to the market the year before that.
The parade heads out of downtown for its finish
Team RUSH has run the Holiday Lights Parade every year since 2001. It's a STEM-themed float parade, and this year's theme, "Let It Glow!", calls for LED displays, synchronized lights, robotics and moving mechanical builds. The route is the same as past years:
- Out of the Renaissance High School lot onto Church Street through the parade gate
- Right on Main Street, past the DJ reviewing stand in front of Picasso's
- Left on Miller Road
- Right on Glenburnie Road
- Right on Snowflake, then into the Calvary Lutheran Church parking lot, where the parade officially ends
The order matters for families with small kids. Mr. and Mrs. Claus ride at the very end of the parade, and the rules don't allow any other entry to bring its own Santa. So when Santa passes your spot on Main Street, the parade is over, and he's headed to Calvary for the tree lighting.
Two other rules change what the curb is like. Floats can't throw candy, because the parade runs in the dark and organizers don't want children running into the street. Walkers are allowed to hand candy out. Floats also keep moving the whole way, so each one passes in a few moments.
Santa shows up twice, so pick your end of the night
Since Santa appears at both ends of the evening, you're really choosing where your group wants to be when he does. Each of the three main spots works for a different kind of evening.
| Where you stand | What happens there | Best window | The trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depot Park, 375 Depot Rd. | Market, pop-up shops, greens, carolers, hayrides, s'mores, a Santa visit | 4 to 6 p.m., before the parade crowd moves to Main Street | You'll have to walk over to see any floats |
| Main Street near Picasso's | DJ reviewing stand, the full parade going by, Santa at the tail | Just before 6 p.m. | The tree lighting happens somewhere else |
| Calvary Lutheran Church, 6805 Bluegrass Dr. | Parade finish, Santa, tree lighting, cookies and hot chocolate | After the last float pulls in | You see the floats as they finish, not on Main Street |
For a group that wants to see everything, the published schedule supports this order: an early visit with Santa at the market, then Main Street by 6, then either Calvary for the lights or back to Depot Park before it closes at 8. Renaissance High School stays open as a warming room with restrooms, which helps if you're near the start of the route. If anyone in your group is walking in the parade, the organizers ask that you arrange a ride back from Calvary ahead of time. Parade parking is across Waldon Road at Clarkston Elementary and Clarkston Junior High School.
Dinner fits around the 6 o'clock step-off
If you're spending the night downtown, you'll have to plan dinner around the parade. Book before 6 and you're watching the clock. Book after and you're eating while the market wraps up. These Main Street places sit along the parade's downtown stretch or a short walk from it:
- Union Woodshop, 18 S. Main St., posts its kitchen hours on its own site.
- Clarkston Union, 54 S. Main St., is still part of the Union Joints group.
- The Fed, 15 S. Main St., lists dinner hours along with weekend brunch.
- Rudy's Prime Steakhouse, 9 S. Main St., takes reservations through its website, which is useful on a night this busy.
- Honcho, 3 E. Church St., runs a restaurant and a coffeehouse, and it's on the same Church Street where the parade starts.
- Essence on Main, 4 S. Main St., sells house-made soups, sandwiches and salads along with gifts, a good fit for a quick bite and a last-minute present.
2 South Brunch House at 2 S. Main St. closes at 3 p.m. daily, so it's a breakfast or lunch stop before the evening starts. For shopping beyond the pop-up vendors, Harrison West at 27 S. Main St. is open until 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, which gives you two hours after the market opens. Society Boutique at 12 S. Main St. carries apparel, jewelry, gifts and décor.
Parking: start with last year's setup, then check this year's
For the 2025 market and parade, The Clarkston News reported that downtown parking was free during both events, and Clarkston United Methodist Church let visitors use its lot. No 2026 announcement has been made yet. The Depot Road lot normally charges $1 an hour during set weekday-evening and Saturday hours, a change the paper reported in July 2023. A December Saturday falls inside those paid hours unless the village waives them again. Check the Village of Clarkston for the 2026 rules closer to the date. The event guide also notes that market details can change.
Quieter Santa visits, if the 12th is too crowded
Clarkston's other holiday events this season are smaller and spread across more dates.
The Clarkston Village Players open Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!) on November 6, and it runs through November 21. The troupe's Holiday Musical Review plays December 11, 12, 18 and 19, so one performance lands on parade night. That gives a third option for anyone who would rather be inside on December 12. Showtimes and tickets are on the Clarkston Village Players site.
Independence Township Parks & Recreation's fall 2026 brochure lists two events nearby. The Turkey Shoot Basketball Free Throw Contest is Tuesday, November 24, at Everest – The Academy Gym, 5935 Clarkston Rd., with youth and adult sessions. Santa's Workshop is Wednesday, December 2, at Bay Court Park, 6970 Andersonville Rd. That's a weeknight Santa visit ten days before the market, which could work well for toddlers.
Then on Thursday, December 17, at 7 p.m., the Clarkston Community Band plays its free A Concert of Holiday Spirit at Clarkston High School, and Santa makes another appearance.
Parade-day updates go up on the Team RUSH parade page.
Whether you watch from the market, from Main Street or from the Calvary lot, Jackie Stratton would love to hear how your family does the night. If you're also wondering what your home near the parade route is worth this season, get your Instant Home Valuation and Jackie will walk you through it.
