The Arkadelphia Christmas Parade will be a bit different in 2022 compared to past years.

This Thursday, Dec. 1, the parade will start at 5 p.m. in downtown Arkadelphia, beginning at 12th and Main streets and proceeding east through downtown.

A new interactive holiday experience will begin immediately after the parade. The Chamber of Commerce will hold a ceremonial ribbon cutting for Prancer’s Plaza, a holiday-themed downtown scene in Town Square. The area will mimic a Hallmark Christmas movie set, complete with 20 holiday-themed building facades, holiday music and a Christmas tree farm.

In conjunction with Prancer’s Plaza, an elaborate holiday light display outside Town Hall will help boost holiday cheer in Arkadelphia. South Central Connect’s display, which will boast thousands of lights, will complement the city’s 30-foot Christmas tree. The light display is expected to be switched on once the ribbon for Prancer’s Plaza is cut.

Each building “facade” inside Prancer’s Plaza will be sponsored by a different local business or organization. Following the ribbon cutting, these local businesses are invited to provide some sort of activity at their “storefront.”

The activities will only be available the night of December 1. Prancer’s Plaza will be open to the public throughout the month of December. Prancer’s Plaza will be open nightly from 5-9 p.m. until December 31. 

Together, the parade and all the activities afterward are part of the first-ever Yule Love Christmas in Arkadelphia event, which city leaders hope will make Arkadelphia the “Christmas Capital of Southwest Arkansas.”