"From that moment forward, the City of Charlestown will glow with lights throughout the holiday season at Greenway Park, the City Square, and the Family Activities Park." That's how Charlestown Parks describes what happens after its light switch flips at 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 27.
"From that moment forward" is the line to remember when you plan your season. Each of the three largest towns in Clark County runs the holidays on its own schedule. Charlestown runs a season that lasts more than a month. Clarksville holds a single evening. Jeffersonville spreads its season across four separate dates between mid-November and early December.
Two Light-Ups, Same Friday, Same Hour
The one real scheduling conflict of the season falls on Friday, Nov. 27, the day after Thanksgiving.
The 2nd annual Light Up Clarksville runs from 5 to 8 p.m. that evening at 1400 Main Street. The Town of Clarksville is hosting a Cookie Stroll through downtown, and Santa and Mrs. Claus will arrive to light the town Christmas tree. After that come photos with Santa and live entertainment from the Clarksville Little Theater. It's free.
Light Up Charlestown starts at 5 p.m. the same evening at Greenway Park. The Charlestown Elementary and Middle School choirs perform at the Doug Coyne Pavilion, and honorary light switcher Tony Jackson flips the switch at 6 p.m. Food trucks Driving You Donuts and Taqueria Hernandez will be there alongside the park concessions.
Both events start at 5 p.m., so one household can't really catch both. The way the two towns run the rest of the season settles the choice.
Clarksville's Event Is Still New, and It Grew This Year
Light Up Clarksville only started last year. The first one, in 2025, was a two-hour evening from 5 to 7 p.m. on Nov. 28, with the same mix of Cookie Stroll, Santa and Mrs. Claus, the tree lighting, and live performances, according to a GoSoIN holiday guide from that year. This year's event runs an hour longer, until 8 p.m.
The Cookie Stroll, the tree lighting and the visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus all happen on that one night. If your household wants to be there for Clarksville's second year, Nov. 27 is the only date.
Charlestown's Season Gives You Five More Weeks
Charlestown has turned the switch-flip into the start of a full schedule it calls Christmas City. Here's what stays open after the Nov. 27 lighting, according to the Charlestown Parks holiday page:
| Spot | When it runs | What's there |
|---|---|---|
| Greenway Park | Lights on all season; concessions Thu–Sun, 6–10 p.m., Nov. 27 to Dec. 20 | A 55-foot tree and a paved walking loop with three bridges, two of them covered |
| Family Activities Park & The Depot | Thu–Sun, 6–10 p.m., Nov. 27 to Dec. 20 | Charlestown Express train rides at $8 per person for ages 2 and up, unlimited holiday mini-golf at $5 per person per night, fire pits, a cafe and games |
| Winter Holiday Market | Thu–Sat during the park season | Vendors selling holiday decor, gifts and handmade crafts |
| City Square light show | Nightly, 6–10 p.m., Nov. 27 to Jan. 1 | A 20-minute animated show on a loop, with music synced on 87.9 FM |
| The Commons | Alongside the City Square show | A green space off the square that's new for 2026, with extra seating for watching the show |
That schedule makes the Nov. 27 choice easier. Skip Charlestown's opening night and you still have weeks of evenings to see the 55-foot tree, ride the train and catch the City Square show. You can watch the square's show from a parked car with the radio tuned to 87.9 FM any night until New Year's Day.
Charlestown also schedules specific nights after Nov. 27, so a later visit has its own events. Santa visits the Family Activities Park on Nov. 29 and Dec. 3, 6, 10, 13, 17 and 20, and the Grinch takes Nov. 28 and Dec. 4, 5, 11, 12, 18 and 19. Character visits are free, from 6 to 10 p.m. Other dates on the calendar:
- Saturday, Nov. 28, 4–6 p.m.: a free Holiday Music Showcase at the Arts & Enrichment Center with Charlestown Ensembles, doors at 3:30
- Friday, Dec. 4, and Saturday, Dec. 5, 6–8 p.m.: holiday trivia nights at the Family Activities Park, sponsored by Centra Credit Union
- Saturday, Dec. 12, 6:30 p.m.: a Cousin Eddie costume contest at The Depot, then a screening of "Christmas Vacation" at 7
- Sunday, Dec. 13, 7–9 p.m.: The Marshall Sanborn Band live at The Depot
- Tuesday, Dec. 22, evening: live reindeer near the big tree at Greenway Park, with Santa and the Grinch making one last appearance
The city's page lists the reindeer evening as 6–10 p.m. in one place and 6–9 p.m. in another, so check the Christmas in Charlestown page before you go.
If your household plans just one Charlestown night, choose it from that list. That leaves Nov. 27 free for Clarksville.
Jeffersonville Spreads Its Season Across Four Dates
Jeffersonville runs a third kind of schedule. Its holiday season is a series of separate events, each on a different day, built around downtown shops and restaurants. In order:
- Thursday, Nov. 12, 5:30–8:30 p.m.: the Holiday Open House in Historic Downtown Jeffersonville. Participating businesses will offer holiday specials and giveaways. It's free and no ticket is needed, and Jeffersonville Main Street encourages guests to wear Christmas sweaters.
- Saturday, Nov. 21: Light Up Jeff & Holiday Parade. The North Pole Party opens at 4 p.m. on Court Avenue between Spring and Wall streets, with rides, games, Santa visits, live entertainment and treats. At 6 p.m. the Holiday Lights Parade heads up Spring Street from Market Street to 7th Avenue, and right after it Mayor Mike Moore flips the switch on the Warder Park display.
- Saturday, Nov. 28: Small Business Saturday downtown, the day after the Clarksville and Charlestown light-ups.
- Saturday, Dec. 5, 11 a.m.–3 p.m.: the Christmas Cookie Stroll.
Jeffersonville lights up nearly a week before the other two towns, so it doesn't compete with them at all. The Nov. 21 date even leaves room for Charlestown's morning event that day, Pajamas & Pancakes with Chris Cakes, from 8 to 11 a.m. at the Arts & Enrichment Center. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for kids 12 and under, and they cover all-you-can-eat pancakes, sausage and drinks. That gives you pancakes in Charlestown in the morning and a parade on Spring Street that evening.
WLKY reported in 2024 that the Warder Park display was hundreds of lights that stayed on nightly through the holiday season.
Jeff's Cookie Stroll Is the Event to Plan Ahead For
Most of the county's holiday calendar is free and open to everyone. The Jeffersonville Christmas Cookie Stroll is the one event with a firm cap.
Tickets are $15 per person, plus a processing fee if you buy online, and Jeffersonville Main Street is selling only 350 of them. Sales open in mid-November. On Dec. 5, bring your ticket and a canned good to the Jeffersonville Main Street office at 401 Pearl Street, at the corner of Pearl and Maple, to get your map and bag. The canned goods go to the Center for Lay Ministries. The stroll runs until 3 p.m., but registration closes at 2.
That makes two cookie strolls in Clark County this year, eight days apart in different towns. Clarksville's comes with Light Up Clarksville on Nov. 27 and is part of a free evening. Jeffersonville's on Dec. 5 is ticketed, capped, and starts at a single registration desk. If your household wants Jeff's, set a reminder for mid-November so you can buy as soon as sales open.
Where to Warm Up in Downtown Jeff
Union Pub and Social at 115 W. Chestnut Street has new owners. Dawn and Ben Browne bought the pub in a sale announced Oct. 16, and the News and Tribune reported their plans for a menu refresh, a Whiskey Room, more events and winterized outdoor seating. It's in downtown Jeffersonville, the same area as the Holiday Open House, Light Up Jeff and the Cookie Stroll.
One planning note for the whole season: event pages can change between now and the date, so confirm times with the host the week of.
If you're getting your house ready for guests this season, or wondering how the holidays affect timing if you're thinking about listing in the new year, the team at Paul Kiger Group lives and works in these Clark County towns. We'd be glad to talk it through with you, starting with a free home valuation.
