Staff photos.
Hundreds of Homewood residents lined the streets in downtown in December 2024 for the city's annual Christmas parade.
Homewood’s annual Lighting of the Star and Christmas parade returns Tuesday, Dec. 9, at 6:30 p.m. — bringing a celebration of lights, music and community spirit to the streets of downtown. This year’s theme is “A Silver Screen Christmas,” according to the Homewood Parks and Recreation website.
For more than 70 years, the event has blended tradition and spectacle — from candy-filled floats to the glowing star that marks the heart of the holiday season.
The parade begins at the Homewood Public Library and follows a familiar route through the city. From the library, floats will travel east on Oxmoor Road, turn left onto 18th Street South and pass beneath the iconic Christmas star. The route continues with a right onto 29th Avenue, then left onto 19th Street past City Hall, another left on 28th Avenue and ends at the intersection of 18th Street and 28th Avenue.
Dozens of entries are expected this year, featuring businesses, schools, civic groups, churches and neighborhood associations. Both Homewood High School and John Carroll Catholic High School marching bands are set to attend.
Everyone is encouraged to participate in the Silver Screen theme. Parade award categories include Best of the Silver Screen Entry, Best Scout Entry, Best Civic Organization Entry and Best Business Entry. Awards will be presented at the end of the parade.
Participants will toss candy and trinkets to spectators gathered along the sidewalks — continuing a tradition that drew hundreds of people last year and regularly fills downtown with holiday crowds.
This year marks the 21st appearance of Charlie Thomas as Homewood’s Santa Claus. Thomas, a familiar figure to local children, is expected to ride atop a city bucket truck as he makes his way along the route. The celebration concludes with Santa’s arrival at City Hall, where he’ll help light the city’s Christmas tree.
At the center of the event — both visually and symbolically — is the Homewood star, a 200-pound, 20-foot-wide metal structure suspended over 18th Street. Built in the early 1950s by Douglass McConnell of McConnell Sales and Engineering Corp., the star includes more than 1,200 bulbs and is wrapped in two-tone gold garland for daylight shimmer. City crews spend about a week preparing the structure before installation, which involves two bucket trucks and a team of workers.
Planning the parade involves coordination across multiple departments — including fire, traffic and police — with support from community partners. The event typically lasts about 90 minutes.
The parade and tree lighting are free and open to the public. For more information, including participation guidelines and route details, visit homewoodparks.com/special-events.
