Last December, people of all ages lined North Curtis Avenue to wait for the 30th annual Pea Ridge Christmas Parade. That's how the Pea Ridge Times photo caption described the scene. The same story by Annette Beard reported that the parade was one of the biggest yet, according to Sandy Fletcher, president of Beta Alpha, the sorority that sponsors it.
People were standing on that curb in the late afternoon. This year, the downtown day around the parade starts at 8 a.m.
On Saturday, December 5, 2026, the Downtown Pea Ridge Holiday Market is scheduled to run from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 1451 N. Curtis Ave. Last year's market was brand new and ran from 2 to 9 p.m. Six more hours in the morning turn the parade evening into a full Saturday, and that changes how you plan it.
The day, hour by hour
Here is what's posted for December 5 on the City of Pea Ridge events calendar and the Downtown Pea Ridge event page.
- 8 a.m. The Holiday Market opens downtown at 1451 N. Curtis Ave. Downtown Pea Ridge, Inc. is the organizer.
- 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The library's calendar lists a Dungeons & Dragons session.
- 5:30 to 6 p.m. The Christmas Parade.
- 6 to 9 p.m. The Lighting of the Square, also at 1451 N. Curtis Ave., organized by the City of Pea Ridge.
- 9 p.m. The Holiday Market and the Lighting of the Square both end.
The market is the only thing on this list that runs all day. It's open for about nine and a half hours before the first float rolls, and for the whole three-hour Lighting of the Square after it. The parade itself is posted as a 30-minute window.
In practice, you can now do your morning shopping, go home, and come back for the parade without missing the market. Or you can spend the whole day downtown. In 2025 you had neither choice, because the market didn't open until 2 p.m.
How a new afternoon market grew into the whole day
The Holiday Market was added in 2025. Be Local NWA described it as a new piece joining Pea Ridge's yearly parade and tree lighting. One year later, it opens six hours earlier.
| December 6, 2025 | December 5, 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Holiday Market hours | 2 to 9 p.m. | 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. |
| Market length | 7 hours | 13 hours |
| Parade start | 5:30 p.m. | 5:30 p.m. |
| Evening lighting | Tree lighting ceremony | Lighting of the Square, 6 to 9 p.m. |
| Location | 1451 N. Curtis Ave. | 1451 N. Curtis Ave. |
The parade time and the address are the same as last year. The extra market hours all come before the parade, and the parade is the part people already plan around.
The name of the evening event is also different. Last year it was billed as a tree lighting. The 2026 city calendar calls it the Lighting of the Square, a three-hour block that starts right after the parade. Neither the city nor Downtown Pea Ridge has posted a description yet, so watch both calendars as December gets closer.
What last year's lineup suggests, and what hasn't been posted
Be Local's 2025 preview listed vendor booths with handmade gifts, live entertainment, horse-drawn carriage rides, a Kids Craft Corner, photo booths, a letter-writing station for Santa, and a downtown scavenger hunt. That was last year's advertised lineup. None of it has been confirmed for 2026.
These 2026 details haven't been announced yet:
- The parade theme, route, grand marshal, and entry deadline
- Whether Santa, carriage rides, or the kids' activities will be back at the market
- How many vendors will set up
- Street closures and detour plans
One route detail is on record from last year. 5NEWS's 2025 parade roundup listed a 5:30 p.m. start at Townsend Way. If you're picking a viewing spot, treat that as a starting point and check before you set out chairs.
For questions about the parade, including entries, the city calendar points people to Beta Alpha Sorority at [email protected]. Beta Alpha has sponsored the parade for 30 years, so it's the right contact for anything about floats or lineup.
A three-week preview on the same block
Before the Holiday Market, Downtown Pea Ridge holds its Harvest Market on Saturday, November 14, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the same 1451 N. Curtis Ave. address. That's about two weeks after this post goes up and three weeks before December 5.
It's also a daytime market run by the same nonprofit on the same block, which makes it the best preview of what a morning-to-afternoon downtown market looks like before the holiday version opens two hours earlier and stays open five hours later. Use it to find parking and learn the layout, so you aren't figuring it out in December with a parade crowd arriving.
Both markets take vendor applications through Marketspread, and the links are on each Downtown Pea Ridge event page. The organizer contact for both is 479-451-1122 or [email protected].
Downtown Pea Ridge, Inc. is an independent Arkansas nonprofit. Its stated goal is a downtown where people gather and businesses do well, through events, business development and placemaking. This year it has run farmers markets on alternating Saturdays, Second Saturday evenings, and a Blankets & Books night in September. The two late-year markets are the biggest dates on that calendar.
Planning December 5 around the long day
With a 13-hour market, you can split the day instead of cramming it into one stretch.
- Shop in the morning. The market opens at 8 a.m., and that's the only window with no parade crowd. If gift shopping is the main reason you're going, this is the time.
- Fill the middle of the day. The library's Dungeons & Dragons session runs 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Come back for the evening. The parade starts at 5:30 p.m. and the Lighting of the Square follows at 6. The market stays open until 9, so a cold hand can find hot cocoa without leaving the square.
- Look at the parking map first. Downtown Pea Ridge has a downtown parking map on its homepage. Check it before you leave, especially if you're coming back in the evening when more people are arriving.
The season keeps going after the 5th. The library calendar lists a Visit with Santa on Saturday, December 12, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Last December, the Pea Ridge Times reported that the city was putting out a list of locations with Christmas light displays. If the city publishes one again this year, it's a ready-made route for a drive with out-of-town guests.
The 2026 parade details are still to come. For now, the times to put on the calendar are 8 a.m. for the market, 5:30 p.m. for the parade, and 6 p.m. for the Lighting of the Square.
If you're hosting family that weekend or showing friends around town, I'm glad to share what I know about getting around downtown on a busy Saturday. And if the holiday season has you wondering what your Pea Ridge home is worth, Cindy Carfaro can give you a straight answer with no pressure attached. Get a Free Home Valuation whenever it suits your schedule.
