"A Red White and Blue Christmas: Celebrating America's 250th." That's the theme the City of Keyser picked for the 2026 Christmas Parade. It sits right on the city's homepage, next to the parade application link.
The country turned 250 this year, and on the first Friday in December, Keyser gets its turn to celebrate it. Bunting and tinsel will share the route.
From Saturday, Nov. 21, through Dec. 12, the holiday events in and around Keyser land about a week apart. Two parades fall on back-to-back Fridays, a talent show fills the Tuesday between them, and a three-night light fair ends the run. Everything below happens within about 20 days, and none of it overlaps.
The Whole Run on One Page
| Date | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Sat., Nov. 21 | Holiday vendor and craft event, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Keyser Assembly of God gym, 2080 New Creek Hwy. |
| Wed., Nov. 25 | Blessing of the Season, 6 to 8 p.m. | St. James Episcopal Church, Main Street, Westernport |
| Fri., Nov. 27 | Tri-Towns Christmas Parade, 7 p.m. | Piedmont to Westernport |
| Sat., Nov. 28 | Holiday market and Celebration of Lights | Canal Place, Cumberland |
| Tue., Dec. 1 | PSC Keyser's Got Talent, 6 p.m. | Church-McKee Arts Center, 121 Arnold St. |
| Fri., Dec. 4 | Keyser Christmas Parade, 7 p.m. | South Keyser, downtown, Armstrong Street |
| Thu.–Sat., Dec. 10–12 | Frosty's Forest Fair, 5 to 8 p.m. | Mineral County Fairgrounds, Fort Ashby |
Read down the dates column and you'll see one event per stretch of the calendar, with a free night or two between most of them. A family can get to the fairgrounds, both parades and the Arnold Street stage without ever choosing between them.
The Season Opens on New Creek Highway
The first event is a short drive from downtown. On Saturday, Nov. 21, Keyser Assembly of God is holding a holiday vendor and craft event from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the church gym at 2080 New Creek Hwy.
It's the only weekend-daytime event in the whole run. The Keyser and Fort Ashby events after it all start in the evening, so Nov. 21 is the best daylight chance to pick up handmade gifts before Thanksgiving.
The Friday Before Belongs to the Tri-Towns
Keyser's parade is the second Christmas parade in the area. The first comes one week earlier, on Friday, Nov. 27, when the Tri-Towns hold their annual parade at 7 p.m. Lineup starts at 6 p.m. in Piedmont. The parade then goes across the bridge into Westernport and breaks up near Roderick's Furniture.
Both parades use the same timing, with lineup at 6 p.m. and the start at 7 p.m. They also share a basic design, since both are built around a river town's main street. If you watch the Tri-Towns route one Friday and Keyser's the next, you're seeing the same tradition in two towns that share a county line, a week apart.
That Thanksgiving week has more on it, all within a short drive:
- Wednesday, Nov. 25: St. James Episcopal Church of Westernport holds its free Blessing of the Season from 6 to 8 p.m., with cookie decorating, hot dogs, hot chocolate, letters to Santa and a visit from Santa himself.
- Fridays through Dec. 11: The Westernport Library at 121 Main holds a 10:30 a.m. story time for families with kids of all ages.
- Saturday, Nov. 28: Canal Place in Cumberland hosts a free holiday market and seasonal celebration, collecting unwrapped gifts for Toys for Happiness, according to Forever Cumberland.
If you want one gift to carry from that week into the next, the Canal Place toy drive works well. Pick up an unwrapped toy at the Assembly of God sale on the 21st, and it's ready for the Cumberland collection a week later.
Tuesday Night on Arnold Street
The Tuesday between the two parades has its own event. On Dec. 1 at 6 p.m., Potomac State College's Student Government Association hosts PSC Keyser's Got Talent at the Church-McKee Arts Center, 121 Arnold St. The college's event listing promises "a variety of displays of talent, featuring acts from the college and local community."
Admission per the WVU events calendar:
- Adults: $7
- Ages 5 to 12: $3
- Ages 4 and under: free
- PSC students: free with college ID
Of all the events this season, the show is most tied to Keyser itself. College students and townspeople share the bill, on a campus stage a few blocks from the parade route. The math works for families too: two adults and two school-age kids get in for $20.
Dec. 4, Block by Block
Three days after the talent show, the parade comes through. The City of Keyser lists it for Friday, Dec. 4, at 7 p.m., with lineup at 6 p.m. The WV News "What's Happening" calendar lays out the route in this order:
- Lineup in South Keyser starting at 6 p.m.
- North through downtown.
- Onto Armstrong Street.
- Breaking up near Water Street.
Every float and marching unit that lines up in South Keyser passes through downtown before turning onto Armstrong, so any spot along the downtown stretch sees the whole parade. Out-of-town relatives can find their way by the end point: the parade wraps up near Water Street.
This year's theme gives entrants plenty to work with. "A Red White and Blue Christmas: Celebrating America's 250th" invites flags next to wreaths and Revolutionary-era costumes next to Santa hats. Any group thinking about entering can still find the Christmas Parade Application linked from the city's homepage, and the city lists an email contact there for questions.
Three Nights in Fort Ashby to Finish
Six days after the parade, the season moves to the fairgrounds. Mineral County Parks & Recreation presents the annual Frosty's Forest Fair Thursday through Saturday, Dec. 10 to 12, from 5 to 8 p.m. each night at the Mineral County Fairgrounds in Fort Ashby. First Peoples Community Federal Credit Union is the sponsor.
Last year's fair gives a good idea of what to expect. WV News reported free admission for the 2025 edition, along with lighted walking paths, decorated Christmas trees, vendor booths, hot cocoa, hayrides and Santa. In that article, Cody Wilson, program manager for Mineral County Parks & Recreation, said each lighted display "is created by local groups, organizations, and businesses who come together to spread holiday spirit."
That's what makes Frosty's a good last stop. The parade floats you see on Dec. 4 and the light displays in Fort Ashby a week later come from the same kind of local groups. The fair runs three nights, so it's the most flexible event of the season. If one evening gets busy, there are still two more.
The County Is Already Planning January
When the lights in Fort Ashby go dark on Dec. 12, the Mineral County Chamber of Commerce will already be working on the next gathering. Mineral County Days 2027 is set for Jan. 13 and 14. The Chamber holds a planning meeting at noon on Wednesday, Dec. 2, two days before the parade, and a final one on Wednesday, Jan. 6, both in the conference room of the Mineral County Commission Administrative Annex. The Chamber's number for details is 304-788-2513.
For anyone keeping a running list, that makes the whole stretch from the Nov. 21 craft sale to the Jan. 6 meeting a chain of dates that hardly overlap.
If you're new to Keyser or coming back after time away, a holiday calendar like this one is the quickest way to see how the town fits together. Pamela Terry has spent more than 20 years working in towns on both sides of the Potomac, and she's glad to share what she knows about Keyser and Mineral County beyond the parade route. When you're ready to talk, Homes by Pamela Terry is here. Work With Pamela.
