Main Street Macon will host its annual Christmas parade on Sunday, December 3 beginning at 3pm. The parade takes place in downtown Macon. The route begins on Cherry Street at the intersection of MLK Jr. Boulevard, turns right onto First Street, and turns right on Mulberry Street.
 
This year’s grand marshal is Todd Pund, President of the Macon Bacon Baseball Team. Pund became part of the Macon community when the Coastal Plain League identified Macon as a viable market for a collegiate summer league. He was named president of Macon’s new baseball team on July 6, 2017.
 
“Our organization, the Macon Bacon are extremely excited to be bringing baseball back to Macon,” said Todd Pund, president of the Macon Bacon team. “The Macon community has already showed their appreciation for us through the purchase of tickets and merchandise. We are excited to take part in the Christmas parade and I am honored to serve as the Grand Marshal of this great community event!”
 
Main Street Macon selected Pund to serve as the grand marshal due to the excitement surrounding the team and the return of baseball to Luther Williams Field in downtown Macon. Macon-Bibb County Commissioners approved $2.5 million in improvements to be made to the historic baseball diamond, making it a true community asset.
 
“Main Street Macon’s Christmas Parade is Middle Georgia’s favorite holiday tradition,” said Emily Hopkins, Main Street Macon Manager. “We host this parade each year to usher in the holiday season and attract the surrounding community to downtown Macon. It’s an opportunity to showcase all the things that have been accomplished in Macon throughout the year and celebrate the sense of community the holiday season brings.”
 
Following the parade, visitors are encouraged to remain downtown and support local businesses by getting a bite to eat or visiting a local shop. At 6pm, the Main Street Christmas Light Extravaganza will begin in the Poplar Street median. The light show on Poplar Street was a project funded by the Downtown Challenge Fund of the Community Foundation of Central Georgia. Bryan Nichols, a local citizen, worked tirelessly to build a new holiday attraction in downtown Macon.  
 
The Main Street Macon Christmas Parade is free and open to the public, Street closures for the downtown parade are as follows:
 
·       Fifth Street: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

·       Cherry Street Plaza: 6 a.m. – 6 p.m.

·       Cherry Street (Fifth Street – First Street): 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.

o   No parking will be enforced from 6 a.m. – 6 p.m.

o   Restaurant patrons will be allowed to travel along Second Street and turn onto Cherry and drop off patrons along Cherry Street and then exit Cherry Street by turning right onto Third Street. Patrons can also park along Third Street and utilize the Third Street turnarounds. Cherry Street will be completely closed at 2:30 p.m.

·       First Street (Cherry Street – Mulberry Street): 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.

o   No parking will be enforced from 6 a.m. – 6 p.m.

·       Second Street (Cherry Street – Mulberry Street): 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.

·       Third Street (Cherry Street – Mulberry Street): 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.

·       Mulberry Street (First Street – MLK): 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.

o   No parking will be enforced from 6 a.m. – 6 p.m.

·       Martin Luther King Jr Blvd (Mulberry Street – Poplar Street): 6 a.m. – 6 p.m.

o   No parking enforced from 6 a.m. – 6 p.m.