Russellville's Christmas Parade Is Dec. 4. The Cocoa Crawl Starts 12 Days Earlier.

The lighted Christmas parade in downtown Russellville rolls on Friday, Dec. 4, at 6 p.m. The mug you need for that day goes on sale 12 days earlier, on a Sunday afternoon, and only while supplies last.

That item is the Hot Cocoa Crawl mug. The Logan County Chamber of Commerce runs the Crawl from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Dec. 4. Mug holders visit participating businesses for hot drinks, vote for the best cocoa, and hear the winner announced at the 6 p.m. parade. The Chamber's listing says mugs and maps will be available at its office starting at the Russellville Christmas Open House on Sunday, Nov. 22.

The Mug Goes Out at the Open House

The Downtown Christmas Open House runs Sunday, Nov. 22, 2026, from 1 to 5 p.m. Downtown merchants decorate for the season and open for Christmas shopping, with refreshments and door prizes. The Chamber says it will hand out a program with a list and map of participating businesses that day.

The Chamber also uses that afternoon to start the Crawl. Its 2026 listing says the mugs are limited and available while supplies last. You can buy one through the Chamber's online registration and pick it up at the Chamber office. The same listing also gives a pickup date of "11/24," which doesn't match the Nov. 22 Open House. If you're counting on a specific day, call the Chamber at 270-726-2206 to confirm before you head downtown.

This setup isn't new for 2026. In 2025 the Logan Journal's holiday calendar said Cocoa Crawl Cups would go on sale at the Chamber during the Nov. 23 Open Houses. On Crawl day, cup holders got refills and other refreshments at participating businesses, plus entries for door prizes and discounts. Both years, the Sunday open house came first and the Friday cocoa came second.

The 2025 Open House also shows how much was going on beyond the storefronts. These are 2025 details, so they may change this year:

• The Locally Logan Shop, which sells gifts made in Logan County, was open 1 to 5 p.m. inside the Logan County Tourism Visitor Center at 215 North Main Street.
• Isaiah 117 House hosted vendors at the Old Logan County Courthouse.
• The historic Caldwell House on East Sixth Street opened with local vendors and pictures with Santa.
• The Logan County Public Library held its own Christmas Open House with crafts, goodies, and its Angel Tree.
• The Russellville Christmas Bazaar filled the Old Armory/Russellville Recreation Center with handmade items from noon to 5 p.m.

The Franklin Favorite's 2025 listing also pointed families to photos with Santa at the Flying Pig.

Both Events Date Only to 2024

The parade and the Crawl started on the same Friday in December 2024. WBKO reported that the Crawl came out of a summer meeting of the Chamber's ambassador group. Polly Steenbergen, the Chamber's executive director, told the station, "We've never done either one of these events, and to do them both on the same day will be a very exciting time for Russellville."

That first year, 20 businesses took part, and a $10 commemorative mug got you cocoa samples. The parade already had more than 20 entries. WBKO described it as the first lighted nighttime Christmas parade in Logan County, led by Mayor Mark Stratton in a Russellville City Fire Department truck. The $10 price and the count of 20 businesses are from 2024. The Chamber hasn't published a 2026 mug price, so check its registration page.

The Chamber built the two events to feed each other. The cocoa award is handed out at the parade, so daytime shoppers have a reason to stay downtown until 6 p.m. In 2025 the Franklin Favorite called that year's parade the Chamber's second annual and noted that entries had to be lighted. The Chamber's 2026 participation form calls this year's Crawl its second annual. It describes an event that takes place across Logan County and is open to businesses throughout the county, though only Chamber members appear in the event's advertising. So the 2026 roster could include businesses outside the downtown core. Check the map when you pick up your mug.

Friday, Dec. 4, Hour by Hour

With a mug in hand, the day runs like this:

1. 10 a.m. The Hot Cocoa Crawl opens at participating businesses. The Chamber lists downtown Russellville as the event location, and the map shows every stop.
2. 5 p.m. The Crawl ends. Parade entries start lining up at Rhea Stadium at the same time.
3. 6 p.m. The Russellville Christmas Parade begins, and the Best Hot Cocoa winner is announced there.

The 2026 entry form sets the route. It starts at 7th and Main, goes down North Main Street, circles Carrico Park Square to West 4th Street, and returns on South Winter Street to 7th Street. In 2024, Steenbergen told WBKO the square was the best place to watch because you can hear the announcements there. The cocoa winner is announced at the parade, so that advice still applies.

The form also lists a few rules that change what you'll see from the curb. Every entry must have Christmas lights, emergency vehicles included. Participants can hand out candy but may not throw anything from moving vehicles. And no entry is allowed to include a Santa. If the weather turns bad, the Chamber will announce whether the parade goes on.

Auburn Holds Its Own Christmas the Same Day

Russellville isn't the only Logan County town with plans for Dec. 4. The Logan County Tourist & Convention Commission's event calendar lists a full day in Auburn: letters to Santa from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., cookie decorating at 5 p.m., and a Christmas tree lighting at 7 p.m.

The schedules overlap in both directions. Auburn's letters to Santa happen during Crawl hours, and its cookie decorating starts as the Russellville parade lines up. The tree lighting comes an hour after the Russellville parade starts. If your household splits between the two towns, you'll need to choose for the evening. Auburn's calendar also lists a Veterans ceremony on Nov. 7, and the town gives its Christmas parade a separate date later in the month.

The Season Spreads Across the County From There

Russellville's two dates sit inside a longer countywide calendar. Tourism's calendar lists these 2026 dates. Some listings don't include times yet, and the commission notes that all information is subject to change.

The Lights Trail lasts the whole month, and it's newer than it looks. In 2025 the Logan County Tourist & Convention Commission brought the trail back for the first time since 2017. It ran all of December and stretched over 50 miles of the county, the Franklin Favorite reported. The top three businesses that year were Oak N Ivy, the City of Russellville Mayor's Office, and Carriage House Vineyards. Executive Director Dee Dee Brown told the paper the commission hoped "next year will be even bigger and better."

Last year's entry rules give homeowners and businesses a rough idea of the timing. In 2025, Tourism asked for photos and addresses by Nov. 28. It posted the trail address list on its Facebook page and at the Visitor Center at 215 N. Main St. during December. For the 2026 entry deadline, call Tourism at 270-726-1678. The Visitor Center is also where the Locally Logan Shop is, a short walk from the Chamber on Open House Sunday. That makes Nov. 22 a good day to pick up a cocoa mug and ask about the Lights Trail.

Our team at Market Masters Group loves seeing Russellville's downtown fill up for the holidays, and we'll be marking Nov. 22 on our own calendar. If you're thinking about a move within Logan County or across the Tennessee line this winter, we'd be glad to talk it through over a cup of cocoa. Let's Connect.