In December 2024, about 4,000 spectators turned out for Bellevue's first Holidays in the Vue Parade, and 35 volunteers ran it. The second parade in December 2025 drew more than 6,000 spectators. It had 40 volunteers. In one year the crowd grew by half and the crew grew by five.
The organizer's own recaps show the rest of the growth:
| 2024 parade | 2025 parade | |
|---|---|---|
| Entries | 47 | 66 |
| Parade participants | 1,000 | 1,275 |
| Spectators | 4,000 | 6,000+ |
| Volunteers | 35 | 40 |
| Spectator bells handed out | 500 | 1,000 |
The parade returns for its third year on Saturday, December 5, 2026, at 10 a.m. It runs under a different structure this time. In July, Holidays in the Vue incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and that change is what turns the event from a volunteer effort into a fixed date on Bellevue's calendar.
Four neighbors and one question
The parade started small. FOX 17 reported in December 2024 that the idea came from four Bellevue moms sitting around a kitchen table. After going to parades in nearby towns, organizer Kristi Gooden told the station, they asked themselves, "Why not Bellevue?" She described the gap even more directly to WKRN before that first parade: "Bellevue doesn't have its own holiday event."
Bellevue City Lifestyle named the four founders as Kristi Gooden, Tammi Schneiderman, Christy Mullen and Jodi Owens. Gooden told the magazine that the Bellevue-Harpeth Chamber of Commerce helped with permits and that the group asked Hendersonville's parade organizers how they ran theirs.
From the start, they set it up like a parade from a bigger town. WKRN's preview of the 2024 parade listed the Tennessee Titans drumline and cheerleaders, the Predators mascot GNASH, Mayor Freddie O'Connell, Metro Council members, bands and dance groups. Miss Tennessee 2024 Carley Vogel served as grand marshal. Gooden later told Davidson County Source that the response to that first year was "overwhelming."
The work spectators never see
A 1.2-mile parade on Highway 70 South means closing one of Bellevue's main roads on a Saturday morning, so most of the work happens before anyone lines up. The organizer's 2026 closure notice says police will shut down the major intersections along the route, emergency vehicles keep access to every home and business on it, and some MTA bus routes will detour. Accepted entrants go to an orientation on November 14 or 18, and they bring payment and vehicle documents with them. The organizer's volunteer page asks for roughly 75 to 100 volunteers, about twice as many as worked in 2025.
That is the gap the table shows. Every year the parade has more entries, more people along the curb and more logistics to coordinate, and most of that has rested on a small group of neighbors working for free.
What nonprofit status changes
The July 17, 2026 announcement says Holidays in the Vue is now a registered nonprofit public benefit corporation in Tennessee under Section 501(c)(3). It can accept tax-deductible donations directly and use them for event production, marketing, vendor management, permitting, and safety and security logistics. A board of directors and an executive officer team made up of local volunteers now lead it.
"This transition to a formal 501(c)(3) organization represents an incredible opportunity to scale our efforts and secure the future of Bellevue's favorite holiday traditions," said Christy Mullen, president of Holidays in the Vue, in that announcement.
Mullen also thanked the Bellevue Harpeth Chamber of Commerce for serving as the parade's administrative partner since 2024. The new structure lets the organization stand on its own. Sponsorships for 2026 run from $250 to $2,000, and Allegiance Pressure Washing is back as presenting sponsor for the third year in a row. If you're thinking about donating, check how it applies to your own taxes with a tax professional. This post is general information, not tax advice.
The organization's stated mission covers civic holiday events in the Bellevue area in general, not only the parade. Last year it unveiled a snowflake and white-lights display at a Bellevue beautification site on Highway 70 South on November 19, 2025, and kept it lit until early January 2026. The parade itself is now officially set for the first Saturday in December, every year.
Saturday, December 5, from start to finish
The parade lines up at Bellevue Middle School, 655 Colice Jeanne Road, and ends at One Bellevue Place, 7620 Highway 70 South. The organizer says it starts promptly at 10 a.m. and lasts about 60 to 90 minutes. In order, the route runs:
- Down Colice Jeanne Road from the middle school
- Onto Highway 70 South
- Right onto Sawyer Brown Road
- Into One Bellevue Place at Esterbrook Drive
Road closures, about 9:30 to 11:45 a.m.:
- Colice Jeanne Road, from Bellevue Middle School to Highway 70 South
- Highway 70 South, from Colice Jeanne Road and Cross Timbers Drive to Sawyer Brown Road
- Sawyer Brown Road, from Highway 70 South to One Bellevue Place and Esterbrook
Roads reopen once the parade clears. To get around the closures, the organizer suggests Old Harding Pike, Baugh Road, Cross Timbers Drive, Hicks Road and Old Hickory Boulevard. If you ride MTA that morning, check nashvillemta.org for detours.
Where to stand. The FAQ points spectators to the sidewalks on both sides of Highway 70 and to the One Bellevue Place side of Sawyer Brown Road. It specifically asks people to fill in the Highway 70 stretch between Slate Apartments and Carriage Drive at Cross Timbers. That stretch sits between where the parade starts and where it ends, so standing there makes the crowd look more even along the whole route.
Parking. The middle school lot is closed to spectators because entries line up there. Street parking is available nearby, but obey the posted No Parking signs.
Dress for it. In the organizer's 2025 parade recap, one parade-goer said their family "braved the cold." It's an outdoor morning on the first weekend of December, so bundle up.
The names on the route
There is still a range for this year's entry count. The FAQ says about 60, and the Visit Music City listing says more than 65. Either way, the lineup is mostly local: schools, bands, dance studios, scout troops, businesses, teams and officials, with Santa and Mrs. Claus at the end.
Past award lists show who keeps coming back. In 2024, awards went to the Bellevue Middle School Band, MOVE Inclusive Dance, the Al Menah Shriners, STR Towing & Recovery with Girl Scout Troop 613, Allegiance Pressure Washing, Advance Financial Foundation and Plantation Pub. The 2025 list included Dance In Bloom, Bellevue Church of Christ, YMCA Bellevue, Advance Financial Foundation, STR Towing & Recovery with Girl Scout Troop 613 again, Moore & Moore Garden Center and Saint Henry Catholic Church.
The organizer describes the parade as inclusive and family-oriented, celebrating the December holidays including Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. It's free to watch.
Before and after the parade
The parade ends at One Bellevue Place. Cledis Burgers & Beer at 7648 Highway 70 South, which Davidson County Source reported opened in Bellevue in May 2025, is right nearby if you want lunch after. If you'd like something seasonal earlier in the season, Friends of Warner Parks is hosting a public opening reception for the Nashville Collage Collective's "Wintery Dreams" exhibition on November 14 from 3 to 5 p.m.
Full details on the route, sponsorships and volunteer sign-ups are at holidaysinthevue.com.
If you have questions about Bellevue or anywhere else in the Nashville area, Jackie Roth Karr would love to hear from you. Let's Connect.
