When does the Christmas season start in Russell Springs? Last year it started on a Saturday evening. The parade came down Main Street, and right after it the City Park drive-through lights came on for the first time that season. The two work as one event. The city has also been spending real money on that same park. This year that money is going into a nine-hole golf course on land next to the park.
Last season's numbers explain why the lights matter
Laker Country WJRS reported in January that more than 9,200 cars drove through the Christmas light display at Russell Springs City Park during the 2025 season. Mayor Eddie Thomas told the station that turnout beat every previous year. He credited city workers with the display and said they were already setting goals for the next season.
Plenty of those cars would have carried a family or a carload of friends, so the number of visitors ran well above 9,200. For a free drive-through run by city crews, that's a big crowd, and it explains why Lights at the Park comes up at council meetings in the middle of summer.
In that same January report, Mayor Thomas said the city wanted to add a couple of new scenes for when Lights at the Park "reopens in November." That's the city's last public word on the 2026 display.
How the parade hands off to the park
Last year, the parade was the opening ceremony for the lights. WJRS reported on parade day that the parade would start on Main Street around 5 p.m. with a Patriotic Christmas theme, and the official opening of the City Park drive-through would follow. The 2025 grand marshal was baseball coach David Rexroat, according to an earlier WJRS story. That story set the parade for Saturday, November 29.
The schedule shifted along the way. In October 2025, WJRS reported that City Park would close the following Monday for safety and setup, and it expected the lights to open after a parade on Friday, November 28. The station's December follow-up said the display actually opened November 29, on parade night.
Two things carry over from that. The park closes weeks before the lights come on, because crews need the space to set up. And the lights opened with the parade, so if you want to know when the lights start, look at the parade date.
Here's how the 2025 display ran, as WJRS reported in December:
| 2025 season | Detail |
|---|---|
| Opening night | Saturday, November 29, after the parade |
| Sunday through Thursday | 5 to 8 p.m. |
| Friday and Saturday | 5 to 10 p.m. |
| Last night | January 4 |
| Admission | Free |
A November 2025 WJRS preview also said the display had new scenes, would be free, and would be open nightly through the Christmas season. Those are last year's hours. The city sets each season's schedule, so check the 2026 hours once they're posted before you plan a weeknight trip.
This year's parade date is set
At the October council meeting, Mayor Thomas announced that the community Christmas parade will be held the evening of Saturday, November 28, as WJRS reported. The Russell County Online summary of the October 8 meeting gives this year's theme as "A Christmas Movie." The Lake Cumberland Tourist Commission's event listing shows the parade at 487 Main Street from 5 to 8 p.m., with the City of Russell Springs as organizer.
Last year's pattern and the mayor's November reopening comment both point to the lights coming on around parade night again. The city hasn't announced a 2026 opening date for the display, though, so treat November 28 as the likely date until the city confirms it.
What's going in on the park's newer ground
The lights are the park's biggest seasonal draw. The city's main project there in 2026 is something you'll be able to use in March as well as December.
In July, Mayor Thomas and the city council announced a nine-hole, par-three golf course at City Park, WJRS reported. The project costs about $410,000 and is fully covered by two grants, $205,000 federal and $205,000 state. The mayor said the idea came after the city cleared more property next to the park several years ago. Officials then looked for ways to use the land and talked with communities in other states that had built successful par-three courses.
The Russell County Newspapers gave more detail on the funding: $205,000 from Land and Water and $205,000 through House Bill 723. The mayor thanked the council, economic development director Jeramy Coffey and the people who went to Frankfort to secure it. He told the paper:
"I think it's going to be a great addition to the city, and I think it's going to be a great addition for families."
According to the same article, the holes will run from 78 to 147 yards. On a short course like that, one or two clubs will get you around, and nine holes fit easily into an evening after work or a Saturday morning with kids. The plans also call for a pro shop with men's and women's restrooms that open to the outside, air conditioning, televisions and a gathering space for golfers and other park visitors.
The latest progress report came at the August 13 council meeting. The Russell County Online summary said work on the course was continuing, utility hookups for the new restrooms were set for the following week, and construction would then move to the pro shop. No opening date or course name has been announced, so for now it's simply under construction.
At that same meeting, the council unanimously adopted the Jamestown and Russell Springs Active Living Walk and Bike Master Plan, developed with the Kentucky Department for Public Health. The plan doesn't commit the city to anything. It's a guide for improving walking and cycling safety and connections. The pool manager also reported a strong summer with extended splash pad hours and big turnouts for night swims.
The rest of the season on one calendar
The parade and the lights take up late November. Here's what fills the weeks around them:
- Saturday, November 7: The 29th Annual Revvin-N-Ravvin Show & Swapmeet runs 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Russell County Fairgrounds, 2000 Lakeway Drive, according to the tourism commission's listing. That's this Saturday.
- Saturday, November 28: The City of Russell Springs Christmas Parade, themed "A Christmas Movie," on Main Street, 5 to 8 p.m.
- Late November, date to be announced: Lights at the Park reopens. The city said it's adding a couple of new scenes.
- Thursday and Friday, December 3 and 4: The Lake Cumberland Tourist Commission's Annual Grinch Event runs 4 to 9 p.m. both days at 650 S. Highway 127, with ice skating, food trucks and vendors. The event listing is the source for those details, so check with the commission before you go.
- Early January: If the city follows last year's schedule, the lights would run into the first week of January. The 2025 display closed January 4.
The busiest stretch is the six days from November 28 to December 4. You get the parade, the likely first nights of the lights, then the Grinch Event on Highway 127 the following Thursday and Friday. If family is coming in for Thanksgiving, that weekend is the one to plan around.
If the new golf course or this year's lights have you curious about what's happening around Russell Springs, I'm always happy to talk it over, whether that's over coffee or at the parade. Preston Brainard is around town all season. Let's Connect.
