Hawley's Winterfest parade will start in the dark this year. The Downtown Hawley Partnership has set its Victorian Christmas Parade for Friday, December 11, 2026, with lineup at 5 p.m. near the Lutheran and Methodist churches and the parade starting downtown at 6 p.m. On the event page linked from the partnership's listing, the organizers call it their "first ever Lighted Night Parade." That means a plan built around last year's schedule will have you on Main Avenue roughly a day late.
If your December from Lake Wallenpaupack Estates includes a trip into Hawley, this change shapes the whole weekend. Halloween follows the same pattern. Both of Hawley's big parades this season step off after sunset, and Friday night is now the start of the holiday calendar.
What the partnership announced
The parade listing describes the Friday procession as a "new evening tradition" opening Hawley's three-day festival, "filling the downtown streets with festive floats, decorated vehicles, marching groups, music and lots of twinkling lights." Admission is free. The listing suggests arriving early to shop and pick a spot along the route, and it notes that public metered parking is available throughout downtown Hawley.
The rest of Winterfest runs through Sunday, December 13. According to the official Winterfest page, Friday starts with local community events and a craft and artisan market runs Saturday and Sunday. The partnership says the detailed schedule will be posted closer to the event, and it points people to the Downtown Hawley Partnership Facebook page for updates.
How far the parade has moved
For years this parade has been a Saturday event, and the change shows up when the years sit side by side.
| Year | Parade day | Start time | Reported by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Saturday, Dec. 9 | 11 a.m. | Tri-County Independent |
| 2025 | Saturday, Dec. 13 | Not given in the preview | WVIA |
| 2026 | Friday, Dec. 11 | 6 p.m. | Downtown Hawley Partnership |
In 2023, the Tri-County Independent reported that the parade started at 11 a.m. on Saturday, December 9, ran along Main Avenue from Spring Street toward Bingham Park, and ended with children meeting Santa at the park.
Last year still followed the Saturday pattern. WVIA's 2025 Winterfest preview listed the parade with the horse and carriage rides and a cookie walk of more than 35 varieties as Saturday events. Friday night in 2025 opened with the Arcadia Chorale concert at Hawley United Methodist Church. In the same piece, partnership event-planning chair C.J. Shultz told WVIA that Winterfest "really encapsulates a small town Christmas spirit that I'm really proud to be a part of."
In 2026 the parade has moved to a different day and taken over the evening slot that recently belonged to an indoor concert. Saturday no longer starts with a procession down Main Avenue. Instead, the festival opens with lights on a Friday night in December.
Two listings, two different days
Not every calendar has caught up. A DiscoverNEPA event page published October 2, 2026, still shows the "Annual Hawley Winterfest Parade" on Saturday, December 12, 2026, at 11 a.m. It gives the familiar route from Spring Street along Main Avenue to Bingham Park, with Santa at the park afterward.
That listing matches the format the Tri-County Independent described in 2023. The parade listing linked from the Downtown Hawley Partnership's own Winterfest page gives Friday, December 11, at 6 p.m., and that page belongs to the group that organizes the parade. If you're setting a family calendar or telling December house guests when to show up, go with the organizer's date. Check the partnership's Facebook page again once the full schedule is out.
The 2026 listing doesn't mention a route beyond the downtown lineup spot. It also doesn't say whether Santa will be at Bingham Park after the Friday parade. Those details should come with the full schedule.
Halloween already runs on the evening clock
The Winterfest move brings Christmas in line with how Hawley already does Halloween. The River Reporter's calendar listing for Hawley Borough's Halloween parade sets it for Saturday, October 31, 2026. Lineup starts at 5 p.m. at Church and Main, and the parade steps off at 5:45 p.m. and heads to Bingham Park. Costume judging, music and refreshments are planned, and trick-or-treating runs from 4 to 8 p.m. The borough's events page lists the same lineup and route, with a costume contest and the Wallenpaupack High School Band after the parade.
The Halloween parade on Saturday, October 31, gives a good preview of a December evening downtown. The same streets fill at the same time of day, with crowds heading toward Bingham Park as it gets dark. The six weeks between the two parades also give anyone curious about the new format time to plan a float.
Halloween night downtown also continues past the parade. Glass Wine.Bar.Kitchen, at 119 Falls Avenue, is holding a free Halloween Bash on October 31 from 6 to 9 p.m. It will have DJ Charlie Hayes, staff in costume, free treats for guests who arrive in costume, themed cocktails and food, and the regular menu. The party starts 15 minutes after the parade steps off, so an evening can go from the parade to dinner without much of a gap.
The season, in order
With the Winterfest parade on a Friday, the Hawley calendar from now through mid-December looks like this:
- Saturday, Oct. 31. Halloween parade lineup at 5 p.m. at Church and Main, step-off at 5:45 p.m., then to Bingham Park. Trick-or-treating runs 4 to 8 p.m., and the Halloween Bash at Glass Wine.Bar.Kitchen runs 6 to 9 p.m.
- Saturday, Nov. 7. Autumn Harvest Wine Dinner at Glass Wine.Bar.Kitchen, 6 to 9 p.m. Price and reservation details aren't on the public calendar, so contact the restaurant directly.
- Friday, Dec. 11. Victorian Christmas Parade lineup at 5 p.m. near the Lutheran and Methodist churches, start at 6 p.m. downtown. Local community events open Winterfest the same day.
- Saturday, Dec. 12. Winterfest craft and artisan market. The Stourbridge Line's Hawley Santa Christmas Tree Express leaves Hawley Station, 100 Main Avenue, at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.
- Sunday, Dec. 13. The craft and artisan market continues. The Christmas Tree Express departs at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
The train also helps fill the Saturday morning the parade used to take. According to the event listing, the Christmas Tree Express includes Santa, hot chocolate and Christmas activities, and trees are for sale. Fares are $40 for adults and $35 for children ages 3 to 12, and children under 3 ride free on a lap. The Stourbridge Line's excursions page still lists the Hawley Christmas Tree Express for December. The parade listing names the train rides along with horse and carriage rides, live music and theater, craft markets and dining specials as part of the weekend.
Putting your own lights in the parade
A first-year night parade gets its look from whoever signs up, and the partnership is asking for entries. Its listing invites "local businesses, families and community groups" to take part. To enter, fill out the 2026 parade registration form and email it to [email protected].
The public event pages don't list a registration deadline, lighting requirements for floats, or judging and prizes. If you're thinking about entering a truck, a trailer or a walking group, email the partnership before you buy a single strand of lights. With the parade on a Friday at 6 p.m. in mid-December, plan for it to be dark at the 5 p.m. lineup. Have your lights tested and running before you pull up near the churches.
If you host guests at a Lake Wallenpaupack Estates home, Winterfest's move to Friday changes the weekend you're selling, since guests who want to see the parade now need to arrive by Friday afternoon. At Live Free Listings, our hospitality team builds stays and guest messaging around local calendars like this one. Schedule a free investment review & revenue estimate, and we'll show you how a December weekend in Hawley fits into your property's year.
