Last December, Santa and Mrs. Claus rode the Santa Train into Williamstown at the end of the Country Christmas Parade. Santa stepped off and climbed onto the stage in front of the Grant County Courthouse, and Judge/Executive Chuck Dills lit the LED tree from his phone. Grant County News reported an estimated 3,500 to 4,000 people downtown that night despite freezing temperatures. It counted 20 vendors and 45 parade entries, and stores kept their doors open with warm food.
That crowd needs space, and downtown Williamstown doesn't have much open space for it. The night works because downtown churches open their basements and parking lots, and Main Street turns into a parade route. At an Oct. 12 town hall, the city laid out a plan for a park behind downtown with the pieces the night now has to borrow: a permanent stage, restrooms, parking and room to gather. Country Christmas on Dec. 5 is the best look you'll get at what that plan is meant to support.
Dec. 5, stop by stop
The Grant County Chamber of Commerce runs A Country Christmas on Saturday, Dec. 5, from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. in downtown Williamstown. The Chamber's event listing has the same date and hours. Here's where everything happens.
| Time | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 3:45 p.m., registration at 3:30 | Free Frosty Fun 3K walk; costumes and light-strung wagons, strollers and wheelchairs welcome | Grant County Courthouse |
| 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. | Kiwanis Pancake Supper with Santa; Santa visits at the main entrance | Williamstown Baptist Church basement |
| 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. | Brad Brown Magic, with shows every 10 minutes | Williamstown Baptist Church |
| 4:30, 5:15 and 6 p.m. | Good News on Main, a narrated live nativity with live animals, caroling, campfires, hot chocolate and chili | Williamstown Christian Church |
| 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. | Family Fun Zone with a carousel, inflatables, a sleigh bouncy house and a Ferris wheel | Williamstown Baptist Church upper parking lot |
| 4:30 to 5 p.m. | Dry Ridge Baptist Choir | Stage in front of the courthouse |
| 5:20 to 6 p.m. | Williamstown 6th grade, middle school and high school choirs | Main stage downtown |
| 6 to 6:45 p.m. | Hills of Kentucky Cloggers | In front of the old courthouse |
| 6:45 p.m. | Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest winner announced; the prize is a gift card to a local business | Main stage |
| 7 p.m. | Christmas Parade; lineup begins at 5:30 | Down Main Street, staging at the Williamstown Schools parking lot |
| After the parade | Christmas tree lighting | In front of the old courthouse |
Look at the Where column. Supper with Santa, the magic shows and the Family Fun Zone rides all take place on Williamstown Baptist Church property. The nativity is at Williamstown Christian Church, which the program describes as "right on Main Street." Everything else happens at the courthouse or on the street.
The 2025 event had a carousel, a Ferris wheel and a miniature train too. Grant County News traces the event back to a simple parade about 20 years ago. The paper says it began growing into its current form nine years ago and is now one of the key events, if not the key event, on the county calendar.
If you're planning a float, entries are due Nov. 26.
Where to eat when the street is full
The pancake supper covers the early crowd. Families who arrive for the 7 p.m. parade will want dinner, and several downtown restaurants list Saturday hours that cover the evening. The We Are Grant County business directory lists:
- Hansie Flip Burgers, 134 N. Main St., Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The burgers are farm-to-table, made with locally grown beef from the Holland Farms family farm, along with fresh-cut fries and milkshakes.
- Opa's Pizza, 126 N. Main St., Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Kentucky Y'all Icebox, 150 N. Main St., Monday through Saturday, 3 to 9 p.m., for ice cream, chocolates and floats after the parade.
- Edwardo's Pizza & Subs, 1402 N. Main St., Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. The family-owned shop has served Grant County for more than 20 years and makes its sauce and dough fresh daily.
- The Daily Grind, 106 Paris St., for coffee, blended drinks, teas and boba. Grant County News covered its grand reopening under owners Mikayla Marksberry and Miriah Cain.
Gift shops line the same blocks. The directory lists MoonStruck at 147 N. Main St., Sass with Class KY at 154 N. Main St., Sweet Marcella's at 108 N. Main St., and Ridge Relics, a vintage, antique and handmade-goods shop, at 104 Paris St. Hours on a parade night can differ from regular hours, so call ahead before you plan dinner around one spot.
Keep Paris Street in mind. The Daily Grind and Ridge Relics are both on it, and the city's proposed park would sit between Paris Street and Mill Street.
Two warm-up events, both indoors
Country Christmas isn't the only December event that relies on downtown space.
The weekend after Thanksgiving, the Taylor'd Holiday Market comes to Main Street Gardens at 1418 N. Main St. It opens Friday, Nov. 27, from 4 to 7 p.m. and continues Saturday, Nov. 28, when Santa visits. Organizers list more than 60 vendors, a free professional photo booth, face painting and food trucks. Main Street Gardens is a private wedding and event venue with more than 7,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, a ballroom and a lit patio. Edwardo's is a few doors down at 1402 N. Main.
The night before Country Christmas, Stage Right Musical Theater Company opens A Christmas Carol. The Chamber calendar lists it Dec. 4 through 13 at Williamstown High School, 300 Helton Road, and directs ticket buyers to Stage Right for showtimes.
Both events take place indoors at a private event hall and a school. Downtown has no public venue of its own for events like these, and that's the gap the city's proposal is meant to close.
The park plan would build what Country Christmas borrows
At the Oct. 12 town hall, held at the Williamstown Performing Arts Center, Mayor David Henson and city office manager Brandy Hall described the proposed Williamstown Park and Amphitheater Project, according to Grant County News. The park would fill the space between Mill Street and Paris Street behind the downtown business district. The estimated cost is $1,500,520.
Compare the proposed amenities with what the Dec. 5 schedule depends on now:
- A permanent performance stage. Choirs, cloggers and the sweater contest currently perform in front of the courthouse.
- Public restrooms. The pancake supper and Santa visits take place inside a church.
- Additional parking. The carousel and Ferris wheel go up in a church's upper parking lot.
- A picnic pavilion, playground and splash pad. These would give downtown a reason for families to stay on ordinary weekends.
The funding hasn't been secured. The city is working with the Northern Kentucky Area Development District on two grant applications. A decision on the Government Resources Accelerating Needed Transformation grant is expected in July 2027, and one on the Land and Water Conservation Fund grant in September 2027. When a resident asked what would happen if both were denied, Grant County News reported that the mayor said the city would keep looking for funding.
"We won't give up," Henson said.
A smaller project is moving on a separate track. The city plans to use a $50,000 matching grant from the Grant County Tourism Commission to develop the property next to the Williamstown Welcome Center for farmers markets, artisan vendors and community events. The Welcome Center already took on a holiday role this year. During the third annual Mistletoe Market on Nov. 7, it offered free gift wrapping to anyone with a receipt over $50 from a Williamstown business, Grant County News reported.
The town hall also covered sidewalk accessibility work along portions of U.S. 25 and School Road. Better sidewalks would make it easier to walk to whatever ends up downtown.
More reasons to stop in Williamstown, on a longer timeline
The mayor also listed new businesses coming to town. A Shell station was expected to open in December. A campground and resort on Barnes Road planned a soft opening in December, with a grand opening in spring 2027. A Marriott-affiliated hotel is expected in spring 2027, and a Casey's on Mercedes Drive is scheduled for fall 2027.
A hotel and a campground would bring overnight guests to a town whose biggest night already draws thousands. The park grant decisions come in summer and early fall 2027. Before then, Country Christmas returns to Main Street on Dec. 5, with the parade at 7 p.m. and the tree lighting in front of the old courthouse.
For more on the county's calendar, see our earlier look at Grant County's local season after the tourist rush and our Grant County neighborhood page. If you have questions about what downtown Williamstown's plans could mean for your street or your home, K2 Home Team is happy to talk them through. Schedule your free consultation.
