The Neon Santa outside the Livingston County Library is six feet tall and weighs close to 250 pounds. It used to hang on a local bank. For more than twenty years it has belonged to the community, and on the evening of Thursday, November 19, it lights up again.
Most of Chillicothe's 2026 holiday calendar has the same kind of backstory. Local people gave something, keep paying for it, or show up to make it happen. That covers the parade, the ornaments on the Memory Tree, the trolley rides and the gifts children buy downtown. Even the one event that comes in on rails from out of town leaves its donations here. Below is the season in date order, with who is behind each piece of it.
The 2026 dates at a glance
| Date | Event | Time | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu., Nov. 19 | Memory Tree Dedication & Neon Santa Lighting | 5:15 to 7:30 p.m.; Santa lights at 7 p.m. | Silver Moon Plaza, 707 Webster St., then Livingston County Library |
| Sat., Nov. 21 | 80th Annual Chillicothe Chamber Holiday Parade | 10 a.m. | Downtown, starting at Washington & Polk |
| Wed., Nov. 25 | CPKC Holiday Train | 3 to 3:30 p.m. | CPKC tracks beside the Lowe's lot, U.S. Business 36 & Harvester Road |
| Fri., Dec. 11 | Kids Christmas | 4 to 6 p.m. | Livingston County Courthouse, 700 Webster St. |
Two of these happen on Webster Street. The Memory Tree is at Silver Moon Plaza, 707 Webster, and Kids Christmas is at the courthouse, 700 Webster. So the season opens and closes on the same block downtown.
November 19: A Memory Tree and a Santa the town looks after
Main Street Chillicothe holds its annual Memory Tree Dedication & Neon Santa Lighting from 5:15 to 7:30 p.m. The dedication comes first at Silver Moon Plaza, with music, hot cocoa and a reading of names. Then the Memory Tree lights up in honor of the people being remembered.
Families supply the ornaments. Main Street sold clear, glass-like ornaments personalized with a loved one's name and trimmed with greenery and snow, priced at $10 each or three for $25. The order deadline was November 10, so this year's tree is made up of names local families sent in.
After the tree lighting, everyone moves to the Livingston County Library for cookies, more hot cocoa and the Neon Santa lighting at 7 p.m.
How the Neon Santa came to the library
Main Street Chillicothe tells the story this way. The sign first belonged to Jim and Cindy Alford of Alford Outdoor Advertising and hung on a local bank for many years. In 2003 the Alfords gave it to Main Street Chillicothe so it would stay on public display every holiday season.
Neon from that era is fragile, so a public sign like this one needs regular upkeep. Main Street says the neon was carefully preserved and that more recent maintenance was paid for with donations from local community members. Upkeep still comes from donations. The 2026 event page includes a link for anyone who wants to help maintain the vintage sign.
November 21: An 80-year parade any local family can join
Two days later, the Chillicothe Area Chamber of Commerce holds its 80th Annual Holiday Parade on Saturday, November 21, at 10 a.m. This year's theme is "Christmas Traditions."
Parade entries come from the community too. The Chamber invites businesses, organizations, clubs and families to take part, and the registration rules make entering easy:
- Late entry fee: $30 from November 8 through November 14. The $20 early rate ended November 6.
- Final deadline: No registrations are accepted after November 14, which is two days after this post goes up.
- Questions: Call the Chamber at 660-646-4050 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
A family can still put together a float this week for the price of a $30 entry. Grand Marshal nominations closed November 4.
Where to watch
The route starts at Washington & Polk and runs south to Third Street. It turns east on Third, goes north on Locust and finishes at Locust & Polk. That loop circles downtown on all four sides, so curb space is available along every leg.
November 25: A touring concert whose donations stay here
The day before Thanksgiving, the event comes from outside town. The CPKC Holiday Train stops in Chillicothe on Wednesday, November 25. CPKC's 2026 U.S. schedule has it at U.S. Business 36 & Harvester Road from 3 to 3:30 p.m., on the CPKC tracks next to the Lowe's parking lot. KTTN reports that this is the same site the train has used on earlier visits, in southeastern Chillicothe.
The Chillicothe show is a concert by Magic! and MARIS. The stop falls between a 10 a.m. show in Ottumwa, Iowa, that morning and a Blue Springs stop on November 27, followed that evening by Kansas City Union Station. KCHI reports that the 2026 tour starts November 19 in Montreal and heads south through Illinois, Iowa and Missouri before going on toward Texas and Louisiana.
The touring part stops at the music. CPKC says every donation stays in the community where it is given. In Chillicothe, according to KCHI and KTTN, donations at this year's stop go to the House of Prayer food bank. KTTN describes the House of Prayer as providing food assistance to individuals and families in need.
The concert lasts half an hour on a Wednesday afternoon, the day before Thanksgiving. Arriving a little before 3 p.m. means you won't miss the train pulling in.
December 11: Kids shop Webster Street with gifts under $15
The season ends back on Webster Street. Main Street Chillicothe's Kids Christmas runs Friday, December 11, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Livingston County Courthouse, 700 Webster St. Admission is free.
Like the rest of the calendar, it depends on local people pitching in:
- Downtown merchants offer specially priced gifts under $15 so children ages 4 to 14 can buy presents for family members.
- Helper elves shop alongside the kids, and Mr. & Mrs. Claus come to visit.
- Card-making keeps children busy while their gifts are wrapped.
- Murray's Buffet & Grill sponsors rides for children and parents on the Sliced Bread Trolley.
Keeping prices under $15 lets a child pick out a gift on their own and pay for it. The trolley is named for the town's best-known claim as the Home of Sliced Bread, and on this night it runs because a local restaurant is paying for the rides.
Main Street is also looking for more volunteers. Groups or organizations that want to help with Kids Christmas or other Main Street Chillicothe events can email [email protected] or call 660-646-4071.
Where the season's support comes from
Every item on the 2026 calendar draws on local support:
- Neon Santa: donated by a local couple in 2003 and kept in working order with community donations.
- Memory Tree: made up of ornaments local families order in their loved ones' names.
- Holiday Parade: 80 years of floats entered by businesses, clubs and families.
- Holiday Train: a touring concert whose donations go to the House of Prayer here in Chillicothe.
- Kids Christmas: downtown merchants pricing gifts for children, with a local restaurant paying for the trolley.
Before the parade deadline on November 14, there's still time to sign up a float, donate toward the Neon Santa's upkeep, or plan a food bank donation for November 25.
Here at Century 21 Team Elite, we're North Missouri neighbors too, and we like seeing Chillicothe's holiday traditions get passed along year after year. If you have questions about Chillicothe this season, from the parade route to a home on one of those downtown streets, Contact Us and one of our agents will be glad to talk.
