Catskill's 20th Parade of Lights Is the First on the Rebuilt Main Street

At 5:30 p.m. on Friday, November 6, the Village of Catskill's Board of Trustees cut a ribbon on Main Street between Catskill Chocolate Co. and Loomie's Luncheonette. Josie Grant, who lives across the street from Loomie's, told NEWS10 she was glad to be done with "the construction and the dust and all the noise" and to "be left with a beautiful Main Street."

The ribbon cutting happened 13 days ago. In eight days, the village's Parade of Lights will run for the 20th time, and the street under it will be new. This year's holiday calendar is the first full season on the rebuilt blocks, and almost every event is on that same stretch of Main Street.

What 16 Months Bought the Street

The Times Union reported that the project cost $7.6 million and began in May 2025. To avoid digging up Main Street several times, the village combined three underground jobs into one: replacing water and sewer mains, removing aging lead service lines and eliminating combined sewer overflows, which can send untreated sewage into local waterways during heavy rain. Above ground, about 85% of the downtown sidewalks were replaced to meet full ADA compliance, and the plan added pedestrian bump-outs, new street lighting and modern parking meters.

A Parade That Grew Along With the Street

The Parade of Lights began with the Catskill Fire Company Ladies Auxiliary after one of its members went to a holiday parade in Middletown. Pam Wright, one of the original organizers, told the Daily Gazette that the first year had 16 floats, most of them from fire companies. By 2021 there were 55 or 60.

Last year's parade, the 19th, had 118 registered floats and about 1,200 people, according to Law. It ran from Dutchman's Landing to the top of Main Street and included a tree lighting, Santa Claus, stilt walkers, the Witches Along the Hudson dance group and a fireworks finale paid for by local businesses and nonprofits. That float count is roughly double the 2021 figure, just four parades later.

The parade also runs a toy drive. Every vehicle in last year's parade donated a toy as it passed the police station, with more than 100 toys were collected for the Matthew 25 Food Pantry in Catskill. The Catskill Clerk's Office handed out free hot chocolate along the route.

When last year's parade ended, the Village made a promise: "Next year, will be the 20th anniversary, and we will make it even better." Citiot's calendar lists this year's parade on Main Street the evening of Friday, November 27, after a day of Black Friday specials at Citiot, 404 Main Street.

Five Weeks on the Same Blocks

Kicking off the holiday season in Catskill, here is the calendar of some events from The Parade of Lights through the Catskill Winter Solstice:

1. Friday, November 27. Black Friday specials and the Parade of Lights.
2. Friday, December 4. Catskill First Friday fills Main and Bridge streets all day with extended shop hours, pop-ups, discounts, live music, food and drinks. The same day, Catskill Collectibles holds the grand reopening of its expanded store at 386–388 Main Street, open noon to 8 p.m., with a gala from 5 to 8 featuring a local artist, music and food. Author and arborist Jean Zimmerman gives an illustrated talk on her memoir Of Heartwood and Woundwood at Citiot at 6:30 p.m., and CREATE opens its 20×20 member holiday gift show with a reception from 5 to 8 p.m.
3. Sunday, December 6. Citiot hosts a book launch and holiday party for author and illustrator Hudson Talbott from 4 to 6 p.m.
4. December 12 and 13. A two-day holiday market with local vendors, food, drinks and music, listed on Citiot's calendar.
5. December 18 and 19. Shopping throughout Catskill continues with the final holiday shopping weekend with some stores featuring all-day music, food, pop-ups and specials.
6. Monday, December 21. Catskill Winter Solstice, 4 to 8 p.m., along all of Main Street, with live music and food.

The Thomas Cole National Historic Site at 218 Spring Street is a short walk away and makes a good daytime stop. Associate Curator Amanda Malmstrom leads an exhibition walkthrough on December 4 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the morning of First Friday. On December 13 at 2 p.m., curator Erin Monroe gives the Sunday Salon Lecture "Thomas Cole and Connecticut: A Closer Look." The same day is the last day of "My American Landscape," an exhibition of work by more than 300 K–12 students in the site's Storehouse. The inaugural show in the new Richard Sharp Gallery, "Thomas Cole: An American Visionary," is scheduled through December.

Here are some Main Street addresses to plan the parade night or First Friday around:

• Catskill Chocolate Co., 473 Main Street: chocolates, espresso, desserts and gelato
• Peyton's, 356 Main Street: Gifts, Lotions, Kitchen goods, and more
• StayForever, 397 Main Street: Toys, Clothes, and gifts
• Loomie's Luncheonette, 466 Main Street
• Citiot, 404 Main Street: shop, coffee and co-working space
• Magpie Bookshop, 392 Main Street
• Catskill Collectibles, 386–388 Main Street
• The Salad Bar, 374 Main Street
• Café Joust, 365 Main Street: café and organic juice bar
• Cat on the Corner, 362 Main Street
• Phōs, 353 Main Street: Greek-American food with weekend brunch

The First Fridays Catskill directory has the full list of participating merchants on Main and Bridge streets. The Collectibles expansion is a good example of the season so far. Owner Tom Illari announced in October that the store would grow into the space next door, and the December 4 grand reopening on First Friday will be one of the first openings on the rebuilt block.

On the night of the 20th parade, the floats will start near the river and climb past Phōs at 353 Main Street, past Citiot and Collectibles, toward Loomie's and Catskill Chocolate Co., the two storefronts where the ribbon was cut on November 6.

At The Angela Lanuto Team, we are proud to be part of the community that kept Main Street going through 16 months of construction, and we'll be on the sidewalk for the 20th Parade of Lights too. If you're thinking about a home within walking distance of the parade route, or about what this rebuilt downtown means for a house you already own, we'd love to talk it through with you, whether you plan to buy with us or sell with us.