Carthage Holds Its Christmas on Monday Nights, Starting Dec. 7

Plenty of towns hold their Christmas parade on a Saturday. Carthage holds its parade on a Monday. The 53rd Annual Carthage Christmas Parade steps off Monday, Dec. 7, from 7 to 8 p.m. It is held every year on the first Monday of December around the Historic Carthage Square.

The parade isn't the only thing on Mondays. Vision Carthage has built its whole Hometown Holidays program around the same night. Its "Merry Mondays" are free events on each Monday evening leading up to Christmas Day. Most of the season's big Saturdays go to other traditions.

The result is two holiday calendars running side by side. The free, bring-the-kids events are on Mondays. The ticketed and ceremonial events are on Saturdays, plus a few weeknight ribbon cuttings in between.

The First Monday Doesn't Move

The parade date comes from a rule, not a scheduling decision. First Monday of December, every year. In 2026 that's Dec. 7. The evening starts with the Mayor's Tree Lighting downtown, and Vision Carthage asks people to stay for the parade afterward. Last year the tree lighting started at 6:30 p.m. on the square, according to Carthage News Online's 2025 announcement. Watch Vision Carthage's page for this year's start time.

This year there's something new to see before the first float. Vision Carthage says the buildings on the square will be outlined in lights.

The parade route covers about a mile. Per the City of Carthage events calendar, it runs like this:

1. Line up and start at Chestnut and Main.
2. Head north on Main Street.
3. Circle the Historic Carthage Square.
4. Continue south to Grant Street.
5. Finish at Chestnut and Grant.

Carthage SkillsUSA runs the parade with Vision Carthage. The 2026 theme is "Merry Christmas America." It marks the 85th anniversary of Pearl Harbor and honors veterans and active service members.

A few details matter if you're bringing kids to the curb. Candy and treats can't be tossed from moving parade units. Walkers alongside an entry can hand candy directly to spectators, so the best spot is near the edge of the route, not a few rows back. The Carthage Fire Department and SkillsUSA bring the "real" Santa as the finale. First-place trophies in each category are handed out right after the parade on the steps of First Christian Church.

If your business, church, club or family wants to ride instead of watch, the entry deadline is Friday, Nov. 13. Every entry has to be decorated for Christmas. Only businesses and commercial entries pay the $30 fee. SkillsUSA advisor and volunteer Mark Sponaugle handles entry forms, and his contact information is on the city's events page.

Merry Mondays Get Three Weeks This Year

This year the series is a little shorter. With the parade on Dec. 7 and the Candy Cane Hunt on Dec. 14, there are three Mondays before Christmas: Dec. 7, 14 and 21. Last year there were four. Carthage News Online's 2025 listing put Merry Mondays on Dec. 1, 8, 15 and 22.

Two of this year's three Mondays already have events attached:

• Monday, Dec. 7: Mayor's Tree Lighting and the Christmas Parade on the square.
• Monday, Dec. 14: The Candy Cane Hunt at Central Park. Bring a basket. If you find one of the special candy canes, you win a prize. The event is free.

The rest of the Hometown Holidays lineup is on Vision Carthage's page. Dates are posted there as they're set.

• S'mores with Santa at Kellogg Lake comes from a partnership with the Kellogg Lake Nature Center and Preserve. Vision Carthage lists firepit s'mores, pictures with Santa, natural ornament making and a hay ride.
• Festive Skate Night is a free family skate at the roller rink in Municipal Park, and ugly Christmas sweaters are encouraged.
• Date Night Downtown pairs Vision Carthage with Stone's Throw Dinner Theatre for a free reading of "The Night Before Christmas" and a medley of Christmas classics.
• Spirit of the Square is a holiday pop-up bar on the square with merry-themed cocktails and decorated photo spaces.

Last year's dates show how the Monday slots usually fill. In 2025, the Candy Cane Hunt was Dec. 8 at 6:30 p.m. S'mores with Santa was Dec. 15 at 5 p.m. at Kellogg Lake. Festive Skate Night closed out the series Dec. 22 at 5 p.m. at the Municipal Park rink.

Saturdays Belong to the Older Institutions

The weekends have their own lineup. Look at who runs each Saturday event and you'll find veterans' organizations, the Chamber and the preservation society. Several of these events charge admission or ask for registration.

The Veterans Day Parade comes first, on the Saturday after Veterans Day. According to the City of Carthage, it begins at 5th and Main, circles the Square and ends at 6th and Grant. VFW Post 2590 coordinates the logistics. The day keeps going after the parade, with food starting at 4 p.m. and Loose Cannons playing at 7 p.m.

Two weeks later is Small Business Saturday on Nov. 28. The Carthage Chamber of Commerce has invited local storefronts to register for the promotion.

The first Saturday in December goes to Carthage Historic Preservation. Its Holiday Homes Tour runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., centered on the Phelps House at 1146 S. Grand Ave. Advance tickets are sold online and for cash or check at All Things Grand, the Carthage Chamber of Commerce, Carthage Olive Oil Company, Cherry's Art Emporium, Colonial House and The Yellow Umbrella. In Joplin, they're also available at The Wild Flower on South Main. The tea at the Phelps House the same day is reservation only. Tickets are required for ages 6 and up, and you can book at 417-358-1776 or through the preservation group's site.

So the weekend before the parade fills up early. Plan on Saturday for the homes tour, then Monday for the square.

The Weeknights in Between

November also has a handful of evening and midday events, and none of them fall on a Monday.

On Friday, Nov. 13 at 11 a.m., Florette Floral Design at 1608 S. Maple St. hosts an open house and ribbon cutting for its renovated space. Florette isn't new to Carthage. The Chamber's listing describes it as an established local business marking a remodel.

The following Thursday, Nov. 19, Sapphire Collective at 345 S. Main St. holds its official opening at 4 p.m. It combines a Chamber ribbon cutting with Business After Hours, so expect a crowd of Chamber members on that block of Main.

The next night, Friday, Nov. 20, Precious Moments Chapel holds its lighting ceremony from 6 to 8 p.m. at 4321 S. Chapel Road. Admission is free, and the chapel says more details are coming on its events page.

For a light display that doesn't depend on any calendar, Mt. Moriah Lights runs at the Mt. Moriah Methodist church, 15506 Nutmeg Rd. It's a computerized display synced to five songs, and you watch from your car with the music on 91.3. Donations are accepted, and the church notes the lights don't run when it's raining. Nightly dates are posted on the display's Facebook page.

Building Your December Around Monday

Here's the season in order, with the Mondays standing out:

• Fri., Nov. 13: Parade entry deadline, plus the Florette open house at 11 a.m.
• Sat., Nov. 14: Veterans Day Parade, 2 p.m.
• Thu., Nov. 19: Sapphire Collective opening, 4 p.m.
• Fri., Nov. 20: Precious Moments Chapel lighting, 6 to 8 p.m.
• Sat., Nov. 28: Small Business Saturday
• Sat., Dec. 5: Holiday Homes Tour and Tea at the Phelps House
• Mon., Dec. 7: Mayor's Tree Lighting and the 53rd Christmas Parade, parade 7 to 8 p.m.
• Mon., Dec. 14: Candy Cane Hunt, Central Park
• Mon., Dec. 21: The last Monday before Christmas

If you'd like your business, church or club to have a float in the Dec. 7 parade, contact the organizers before the Nov. 13 deadline. You'll want the decorating done before the square lights up.

We live and work in this corner of southwest Missouri, and the first Monday in December is on our calendar too. If you're thinking about a home closer to the square, or a place in town where the parade route is part of the neighborhood, Show-Me Real Estate is happy to talk it over. Schedule a Free Consultation and we'll start with the streets you already know.