Black Mountain to host two days of holiday festivities

Chamber of commerce to introduce extended Holly Jolly ahead of annual Christmas parade

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
November 18, 2025

Local holiday traditions will return to downtown, Dec. 5 and 6, as Holly Jolly and the Black Mountain Christmas Parade come to town. Photo by Fred McCormick

An annual downtown Black Mountain tradition will debut an extended schedule, Friday, Dec. 5 and Saturday, Dec. 6, when Holly Jolly returns to kick off the holiday season in the Swannanoa Valley.

The two-day celebration offers a variety of festivities, preceding the 2025 Black Mountain Christmas Parade, which will march along State Street, beginning at 4 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 6.

Presented by the Black Mountain Swannanoa Chamber of Commerce, the events begins with a tree lighting in the town square, followed by a nearby reading of “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” commonly known as “The Night Before Christmas.”

The introduction of a new Holly Jolly Window Display Competition, encouraging Swannanoa Valley businesses to decorate storefronts through the month of December, allows shoppers to explore the community in search of their favorite entries. The contest will include a visitor map to guide onlookers to participating organizations from Swannanoa to Ridgecrest.

“If you’re a visitor here, from out of town, and you want to do something for the holidays, this is an opportunity to go experience different things. But, if you live here and you’re looking for something to do with your children, you can spend a Saturday driving around and checking out the displays,” said chamber of commerce director Cheryl Hyde. “Ultimately, this is a way to bring people to local businesses and showcase just how much they can check off their holiday shopping list right here in the Valley.”

A map of participating merchants will be available at the Visitor Center, as the contest begins Thursday, Dec. 3, with judging completed, Tuesday, Dec. 16. Lights are encouraged, while nearly 45 businesses will participate in the inaugural event. Prizes will be awarded to four categories: people’s choice, best lit display, most creative use of Winter Wonderland theme and judge’s choice.

The concept originated with chamber member and local realtor Jason Land.

“He didn’t just come to us with an idea, he came with an idea, a plan and he did all the work,” Hyde said. “He deserves all of the credit for this, because it’s a great way to give some exposure to local businesses, especially during the holiday season. For us, we’d love to see people shop local, because we have so many great businesses in this community.”

The Swannanoa Valley will kick off the holiday season, Dec. 5 and 6, when the Black Mountain Swannanoa Chamber of Commerce hosts Holly Jolly and the annual Christmas parade. Photo by Fred McCormick

The addition of another program designed to spread holiday cheer throughout the business community is the Holly Jolly Passport, which will include a diverse range of seasonal activities hosted by chamber members throughout the area. Participating locations will offer visitors opportunities to color Christmas ornaments, make “reindeer food” or visit Santa Claus.

“This is also a way to encourage people out enjoying the Holly Jolly weekend to go in and connect with individual businesses in the area,” Hyde said. “This weekend is the traditional kickoff of the holiday season here, so we wanted to focus on ideas that bring everyone together.”

The introduction of the Swannanoa Food Court, positioned in the parking lot in front of the Black Mountain Public Safety building, will coincide with the opening evening of Holly Jolly. Consisting of food trucks from Swannanoa, the offering is intended to bring a taste of the neighboring community to the downtown tradition.

“All of the trucks in the Swannanoa Food Court are from Swannanoa, which is one way we can use this popular event to bring the valley together,” the chamber director said.

The weekend will honor both recent and longstanding traditions, as local first responders will escort Santa to the Old Depot. The procession will be similar to last year’s, when the gathering was held less than three months after Tropical Storm Helene.

“Last year, this was done as a surprise, as a show of appreciation to the police officers and firefighters who responded during the storm,” Hyde said. “This is example of something that came organically from that event.”

More than 65 entries will participate in the Black Mountain Christmas Parade, Dec. 6. Photo by Fred McCormick

The annual Christmas Parade, which will proceed west on U.S. 70, from Flat Creek Road to Cragmont Road, will likely feature approximately 65 entries, with a theme of “Christmas of Music and Song.” The quintessential small town holiday celebration will honor a long-time chamber of commerce supporter and parade participant, as John Buckner will serve as grand marshal.

Buckner, whose numerous civic contributions include having served on the board of the Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center and the Black Mountain - Swannanoa Endowment Fund, will honor his late wife, Peggy, who passed away in 2016. While Peggy once served as the grand marshal, John continued to tow the climactic float carrying Santa for decades.

“The Buckners kept this parade going for years and years, so he was able to approve the person we picked to drive Santa,” Hyde said. “So this year, it’s all about recognizing John for his years of dedication to this tradition, and for him, it’s an opportunity to honor Peggy.”

The deadline to register as a participant in the parade is Monday, Nov. 24. Registration is available at explorethevalley.org.