Most of the City of Bartlett's 2026 holiday events take place at the A. Keith McDonald Pavilion in W.J. Freeman Park on Bartlett Boulevard. That includes a fire pit night, the Christmas Tree Lighting and a skating afternoon. The Christmas Parade is the one big night that moves, to Kirby Whitten Parkway and Yale Road on Saturday, December 5.
Most of the season is easy to plan because it all happens in one spot. Two dates take more thought. On November 20 and December 5, the city's events overlap with shows at the Bartlett Performing Arts & Conference Center on Appling Road. Those two days are where your choices actually matter.
One Pavilion Holds Most of the Calendar
The city's own event feed at Be In Bartlett lists W.J. Freeman Park at 2629 Bartlett Blvd. for three of its four park-and-parade holiday events this season. Last year the city also used the McDonald Pavilion for its Christmas in Bartlett market on November 21, 2025. The pavilion has become the home base for the city's holiday events.
| Date | Event | Where | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, Nov. 13 | Fire Pit Friday | W.J. Freeman Park | 6 to 8 p.m. |
| Friday, Nov. 20 | City of Bartlett Christmas Tree Lighting | McDonald Pavilion, Freeman Park | 6 p.m. |
| Saturday, Dec. 5 | Bartlett Christmas Parade | Kirby Whitten Pkwy. at Yale Rd. | 4 p.m. |
| Saturday, Dec. 12 | Rolling Around the Christmas Tree | W.J. Freeman Park | 2 to 5 p.m. |
This Friday's fire pit night is the first chance to see the park set up for the season. The city's listing says fire pits will be out for roasting marshmallows, and benches are limited, so bring your own chairs. The last Freeman Park event comes in mid-December. The city calls Rolling Around the Christmas Tree "one of our newest holiday traditions," with hot chocolate and skating at the park. The city calendar links that event to the Bartlett Parks & Recreation program store, so check there for skate details and any sign-up before you pack the car.
The Tree Lighting is where the overlaps start.
November 20 Has Two Good Plans for One Evening
The Christmas Tree Lighting starts at 6 p.m. on Friday, November 20, at the McDonald Pavilion. That same night, the Bartlett Performing Arts & Conference Center at 3663 Appling Road hosts Christmas with the Petersens from 7:30 to 9:15 p.m. Lobby doors open at 6:30 p.m., auditorium doors open at 7 p.m., and tickets are listed at $50.
The schedules overlap by about half an hour. If you want the lights to come on at 6 p.m. and also want to be in the lobby when it opens, you'd have to leave the park almost as soon as the tree lights up. Families with younger kids will likely treat these as two separate outings. For a couple, it can work as one long evening if you watch the lighting and then go straight to the auditorium in time for the 7 p.m. doors. The concert is the one that costs money, so it's the one to buy tickets for early.
December 5 Is the Day the Season Leaves Freeman Park
Parade day is the one big day the city's season moves away from the pavilion, and it takes over a neighborhood for the afternoon. According to the City of Bartlett's parade page, the 2026 Bartlett Christmas Parade steps off at 4 p.m. on Saturday, December 5. The city chose the theme "Christmas through the Decades" to mark the nation's 250th birthday. The parade will once again run through the neighborhoods along Kirby Whitten and Yale, and the city asks families to bring lawn chairs and blankets.
The parade day schedule runs in three steps:
- 1 p.m. The staging area on Yale closes, and so does the parade route on Kirby Whitten and Yale, including the Kirby Whitten and Yale intersection. Christmas banners on the light poles mark the route.
- 3 p.m. Bartlett Baptist Church starts pre-parade entertainment at the stage and review area: singing, reindeer races for kids, Christmas trivia and musical candy canes. Food vendors open in the church's front drive at the same time.
- 4 p.m. The parade begins.
If you live off Kirby Whitten or Yale, the 1 p.m. closure is the time that matters, since the parade itself doesn't start until 4. Anyone driving out of the area that afternoon should plan around the three hours before the first float.
The second overlap of the season lands this same day. Bartlett Performing Arts & Conference Center stages Matilda the Musical three times that weekend: Friday, December 4, at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, December 5 and 6, at 2 p.m. The Saturday matinee runs from 2 to 4 p.m., so it ends just as the parade starts. Families who want both can see Matilda on Friday night or at the Sunday matinee and keep Saturday for the parade. The city calendar lists admission for the December 4 performance at $20 for adults and $15 for youth under 18.
The Smaller Dates That Fill the Gaps
The rest of the city's holiday events are spread across Bartlett, and none of them overlap with the big dates above:
- Turkey Shoot at Singleton, Saturday, Nov. 14, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. This annual Parks & Recreation event is held at Singleton Community Center, 7266 3rd Rd. No targets are sold after 1 p.m.
- Craft nights on the City calendar. A Christmas Sled Ornament session on Tuesday, Dec. 1, from 5 to 6 p.m. Salt Shaker Snowman or Angel on Thursday, Dec. 3, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Snow Globes on Tuesday, Dec. 8, from 5 to 6 p.m.
- The Nutcracker at BPACC, Friday and Saturday, Dec. 18 and 19. The Friday performance runs from 7:30 to 9:15 p.m. The city calendar lists admission at $20 for adults and $15 for youth under 18.
The three craft nights fall during the weeknight stretch between the parade and Rolling Around the Christmas Tree. The City of Bartlett calendar has the full December list.
Where to Eat Near Each Spot
Because the season happens in two places, dinner plans depend on which one you're headed to.
Near Freeman Park. Voodoo Cafe is at 2780 Bartlett Blvd., on the same road as the park, and its site lists daily hours and online ordering. Sweet Pea's Southern Cookin' is a family-owned restaurant at 5824 Stage Road. It's open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sweet Pea's closes at 7, so on Tree Lighting night an early supper there fits better before the 6 p.m. lighting than after it.
Near the parade route. Old Whitten Tavern is a family-owned restaurant at 2465 Whitten Road, and its site says it's open seven days a week. On parade day, the food vendors in Bartlett Baptist Church's front drive are the closest option, and they open at 3 p.m.
There's also restaurant news along Stage Road. The Commercial Appeal reported in November 2025 that Wimpy's Burgers and Fries planned to move into the former Memphis Mojo Cafe space. Wimpy's own site now lists a Bartlett location at 7124 Stage Road. The Commercial Appeal also reported in July that a new Mexican restaurant is planned for the former Noodles Asian Bistro at 2936 Kirby Whitten Road, next to Kroger off Stage Road. Noodles had operated there since 2010.
Ware Jones agents keep track of Bartlett's calendar, from the Tree Lighting at Freeman Park to the parade route on Kirby Whitten. If you have questions about the city around you this season, Ware Jones is happy to help. Connect with a Memphis neighborhood expert.
