There’s something about a parade in a small town that softens even the busiest of days. Maybe it’s the glow of the lights reflected in storefront windows… or the way neighbors wave a little longer, smile a little brighter. Maybe it’s the way the cold air mixes with excitement, creating that unmistakable holiday flutter in your chest.
This year, Dundee is bringing that feeling back to Main Street with The Magic of the Season Holiday Parade — a cherished tradition that for eight years has stitched together the heart of this community.
📍 When the Magic Arrives
📅 Saturday, December 13, 2025
⏰ Parade steps off at 5:30 PM
📍 Main Street, Dundee, NY
As dusk settles over the village, Main Street will glow to life with lights, laughter, and the unmistakable joy that only a Christmas parade can bring. Arrive early to find your favorite viewing spot, grab a warm drink, and watch the village transform into a scene straight from a storybook.
🎄 A Parade That Feels Like Coming Home
As the calendar flips to December and Christmas edges closer, Dundee transforms. Windows fill with wreaths, garlands drape across porches, and the whole village seems to hum with anticipation. And right at the center of that excitement is the parade — a moment where children tug impatiently on mittens, parents sip steaming cocoa, and grandparents settle into their favorite viewing spot just as they’ve done for decades.
DCS TRAILS, Our Town Rocks, and the Village of Dundee are once again joining hands to bring that magic to life. Their shared vision? A parade that blends tradition with imagination, honoring the heart of Dundee while inviting the entire region to celebrate together.
👨👩👧 Bring the Kids — The Magic Is Meant for Them
If there’s one thing this parade does best, it’s capturing the imagination of children. Their excitement is the heartbeat of the night — the way they bounce on their toes when they hear the first notes of a Christmas song, or how their eyes widen when a float of twinkling lights drifts by like something out of a dream.
Bundle up your little ones, zip their coats up to their chins, wrap those scarves snug, and bring them downtown early.
Let them wave to their favorite characters, collect candy canes, and feel the wonder of Christmas come to life right before their eyes.
These are the moments they’ll talk about all winter — the ones that become the stories they carry into adulthood.
✨ What to Expect
🎄 A Touch of Christmas in Dundee:
Where Small-Town Magic Lights the Night
On Saturday, December 13th, 2025, Dundee Seneca Street Park will twinkle a little brighter as the village gathers for one of its most beloved traditions — Touch of Christmas. From 6:00 to 8:30 pm, the park becomes a holiday haven filled with music, laughter, dancing elves, warm treats, and that unforgettable feeling of community joy that only small towns know how to create.
And the biggest excitement?
🎅 Santa is coming to town — arriving at 6:05 pm sharp!
A moment guaranteed to send little ones into joyful squeals and adults straight back to childhood.
🎁 Magic in Motion: The Parade
The evening begins with the holiday parade, stepping off from Dundee Central School at 5:30 pm.
The route winds down Harpending Avenue, then onto Water & Main Streets, before turning onto Hollister and Bell Streets and continuing down Seneca Street — all to deliver a very special guest and a sleighful of cheer right into the heart of the celebration.
Families line the sidewalks, lights glow against December’s early nightfall, and the whole town feels wrapped in one grand, evergreen-scented hug.
🐴 Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides
From 6:30–8:30 pm, Hemlock Hidden Hames Carriage Services brings a whisper of old-fashioned wonder to the park. The clip-clop of hooves and the glow of carriage lanterns offer the perfect backdrop for a winter memory made to last.
🎶 Music to Warm the Heart
The evening hums with festive sound:
✨ Barrington Community Church Praise Team performs at 6:30 pm
✨ The Dancing Elfs take the stage at 7:00 pm, bringing sparkle, giggles, and merry mischief
✨ Live holiday tunes float through the park courtesy of Abbie Music
And just when you think the night can’t get any sweeter…
Fulkersons Winery will be serving grape juice for families to enjoy!
💌 Letters to Santa
Children are encouraged to bring their letters for Santa & Mrs. Claus — complete with full name, age, and address — so the magic can continue even after the holiday lights dim.
A bright red mailbox will be waiting!
🍽️ Taste the Season: Local Food Favorites
No holiday event is complete without comforting seasonal flavors, and Touch of Christmas offers a spread worth celebrating:
Firemen’s Chili
Fried Dough
Kielbasa Sausage
Hot Dogs
Touch of Christmas’s Famous Chestnuts Wrapped in Bacon
Team Charlie’s Christmas Cookies
French Fries
Popcorn
Hot Chocolate & Coffee
A little sweet, a little savory, and a whole lot of hometown charm.
✨ A Night Dundee Will Treasure
Touch of Christmas isn’t just an event — it’s a celebration of community, tradition, and togetherness. From Santa’s joyful arrival to the music echoing through the park and the warmth of shared food and laughter, this is the kind of evening that lingers in the heart long after December has passed.
Bundle up, bring your loved ones, and step into the sparkle.
🌟 Why These Moments Matter
Parades like this are more than an event — they’re a reminder of why small towns shine brightest during the holidays. They’re where traditions take root, where memories are gathered, and where the spirit of community is felt with every step and every float.
For Dundee, this parade is a celebration of togetherness. A chance to see friends you haven’t crossed paths with in weeks. A chance for families to come out, laugh, wave, and share a moment of simple joy. A chance for kids to feel the wonder of December… and for adults to feel it again, too.
💖 A Heartfelt Thank You to Volunteers & Sponsors
Behind every float, every costume, and every glowing strand of lights is a group of people who give their time, talent, and heart to make this parade possible.
A warm and grateful thank you to:
✨ The Organizers:
DCS TRAILS, Our Town Rocks, and the Village of Dundee — for your vision, dedication, and countless hours of planning.
✨ The Volunteers:
From those who set up barricades to those who coordinate lineups, direct traffic, wrangle performers, and clean up long after the last float passes — your work is the true backbone of this event.
✨ Local Businesses & Sponsors:
Your support, donations, decorations, equipment, and community spirit help keep traditions like this alive year after year.
✨ Participants:
Every parade entry — from handmade floats to musical groups and community organizations — brings creativity and joy that make the night unforgettable.
This parade happens because Dundee shows up — together.
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🎁 A Keuka Roots Closing Note
At Keuka Roots, we believe stories grow from moments just like this — lights glowing against the winter sky, mittens waving from the curb, and the sound of a community celebrating all it means to be home.
So bundle up, grab a cup of cocoa, find your favorite spot on Main Street, and let yourself be swept into the magic.
Here’s to Dundee, to tradition, and to the season that brings out the best in us all. ✨
Stay Rooted. Stay Keuka.
