Dec. 5 Is Houston County's Three-Parade Saturday, From Watson Boulevard to Houston Lake Boulevard

Which Christmas parade does your family go to this year? On Saturday, Dec. 5, 2026, you can go to three of them. Warner Robins starts at 10 a.m., Byron at 1 p.m., and Centerville's lighted parade at 7 p.m. That's three towns and three start times, with gaps in between long enough for lunch and a free stop at the Museum of Aviation.

The start times are listed in each city's own 2026 parade paperwork, and they don't overlap. Taken together, Dec. 5 is a full day that moves from a big daytime parade to a short small-town loop to a lighted parade after dark.

Two of the three themes have a patriotic angle this year. In a county built around Robins Air Force Base, a red, white and blue morning and a 250th-birthday evening seem like a fitting way to bracket the day.

The morning belongs to Watson Boulevard

The City of Warner Robins calls its parade "one of the Southeast's most anticipated holiday events" on its 2026 registration page. The parade starts at 10 a.m. on South Davis Drive near Warner Robins High School. According to the city's 2026 parade rules packet, it ends at Watson Boulevard and Houston Road. Groups that want to march or ride have until Nov. 13 at 5 p.m. to register, so the deadline is close.

Past years give you an idea of the size. Ahead of the 2024 "Christmas in Toyland" parade, 13WMAZ reported that the city expected about 20,000 spectators along Watson Boulevard and more than 110 participants. Road closures started at 9:30 a.m. that year, and spectators were told to arrive early and park in commercial lots along the route. Mayor LaRhonda Patrick told the station how much the event means to the city:

"This is one thing the state gives us permission to shut down. The Christmas parade is a big deal in the city of Warner Robins."

For timing, an earlier year's 13WMAZ guide said the parade lasted about two hours, with Watson Boulevard closed from 9:30 a.m. to noon. If 2026 runs about as long, the Warner Robins parade wraps up around noon. That's an hour before Byron starts.

To eat before heading to Watson, Eggs Up Grill in Bonaire is at 770 Ga. 96, Suites 200 and 205. The Houston Home Journal reported that it opened in August and serves from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Byron's parade is short, and it starts at 1

The Byron parade is a smaller event, and that's part of its appeal. The city's 2026 parade application describes a route of about one mile starting on Linda Drive, with a "Christmas Spectacular" theme. Byron's annual events page gives the loop as Linda Drive, White Road, Highway 49, Highway 42, Moseley Road and Main Street, then back to Linda Drive.

Floats in Byron compete for prizes, judged on parade day: $100 for first place, $75 for second and $50 for third. Floats that want judging line up at noon, and all other entries at 12:30 p.m. If you get to Linda Drive a little early, you'll see the floats lining up. Entries are due by Friday, Nov. 27, at the Byron Welcome Center, 209 Chapman Road.

For lunch after the parade, Georgia Bob's at 140 Cane River Drive appears in Byron's dining directory and takes orders through its own website. The same Byron dining directory also lists Casa Mexico at 311 GA Highway 49 and The Drugstore Deli at 100 W. Heritage Boulevard.

The afternoon gap fits the Festival of Trees

The longest stretch of the day comes between Byron and the 7 p.m. start in Centerville. The Museum of Aviation fills it nicely. The museum's 2026 Festival of Trees runs from Nov. 22 to Dec. 29, and it's free during regular hours. The museum's hours page lists Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with free admission and parking.

The 5 p.m. closing time is the one deadline to plan around. Go to the museum right after Byron and the kids get indoor time in the middle of the day. That still leaves two hours before Centerville, which is enough for an early dinner.

Centerville waits until dark

Centerville's parade is the only one of the three built to be seen at night. The city's 2026 application requires every entry to be "lighted in the spirit of the holidays." It also says the parade will have just one Santa Claus, provided by the City of Centerville. The theme is America's 250th Birthday Celebration. Instead of an entry fee, each group donates one toy to the Georgia State Patrol and U.S. Marines Toys for Tots drive.

The behind-the-scenes work starts hours earlier. Floats can arrive at 4 p.m. at the staging area on Matt Kenne Circle behind Galleria Mall, coming in through the mall's north entrance on Margie Drive, across from El Cotija. Everyone has to be in line by 5:30 p.m. At 7 p.m., the parade leaves the Galleria Mall onto Houston Lake Boulevard, goes north and turns left onto Thomson Street. It ends at the corner of Thomson Street and Houston Lake Boulevard. Applications are due Friday, Nov. 13, which is the same deadline as Warner Robins.

When the Houston Home Journal covered the 2023 parade, it noted the parade is free to watch and spectators gathered along Houston Lake Road. For something quick nearby, the Subway at 100 N. Houston Lake Blvd lists Saturday hours of 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on its location page.

Putting the day together

Here's the order that keeps every stop in reach:

1. Breakfast in Bonaire, then find a spot along Watson Boulevard before closures start. In 2024, closures began at 9:30 a.m.
2. Watch the Warner Robins parade from 10 a.m. to about noon.
3. Head to Linda Drive in Byron for the 1 p.m. "Christmas Spectacular," then grab lunch in town.
4. Visit the Festival of Trees at the Museum of Aviation before it closes at 5 p.m.
5. Eat an early dinner near Houston Lake Boulevard, then watch the lighted parade leave the Galleria Mall at 7 p.m.

Rain changes the day differently in each town

Weather can split this schedule up. Each town sets its own backup plan, and the plans don't have to match. Byron has already announced its rain date: if Dec. 5 is called off, its parade moves to Saturday, Dec. 12.

Last year showed how this can go. In early December 2025, rain postponed both the Warner Robins and Centerville parades, and both cities moved them to Saturday, Dec. 13, the Houston Home Journal reported. The rescheduled parades went ahead, and the paper ran photos from both. If the forecast looks bad for Dec. 5, check each city's page on its own. A delay in one town doesn't mean a delay in the others.

Jacque has lived in Warner Robins for 21 years and has watched these parade routes year after year, from Watson Boulevard to Houston Lake Boulevard. If your home is along one of them and you're wondering what it's worth before the new year, Jacque Applegate can give you a free home valuation. Reach out anytime, and enjoy the parades on Dec. 5.