Knoxville’s annual WIVK Christmas parade is returning for its 50th year tomorrow (Friday).

Over 120 parade displays will proceed along Gay Street including marching bands, church and community groups, small businesses and more.

The event is scheduled, rain or shine, for 7 p.m. It will also follow Knoxville’s new parade route, which has groups staging across the river and marching across the Gay Street Bridge, merging with more participants on side streets like Hill and Main.

Several roads will also close for the parade. The following roads will close to traffic at 4:30 p.m.:

Council Place
S. Gay Street between Council Place and Main Street
Hill Ave between Hall of Fame Drive and Walnut Street
Magnolia Avenue between N. Gay Street and S. Central Street

These roads will close to traffic at 5:30 p.m.:

S. Gay Street between Main Street and Cumberland Avenue
Main Street between Walnut Street and Gay Street

And these roads will close to traffic at 6:15 p.m.:

Gay Street between Cumberland Avenue and W. Fifth Avenue
Cumberland Avenue between Market Street and Gay Street
W. Church Avenue between Market Street and Gay Street
Union Avenue between Walnut Street and Gay Street
Market Street between Clinch Avenue and Union Avenue
Knoxville’s 50th annual WIVK Christmas parade returns this weekend
Knoxville’s 50th annual WIVK Christmas parade returns this weekend(City of Knoxville)

Downtown Knoxville parking garages will offer free parking after 6 p.m.