Clinton Christmas Parade set for Dec. 6; Stephenson named grand marshal
The 2025 Clinton Christmas Parade will step off at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, with longtime community leader and noted auctioneer William “Bear” Stephenson serving as grand marshal.
Floats and participants will begin lining up at 4 p.m. The parade will travel down Market Street before continuing along Main Street — the primary viewing area this year because of construction that will prevent spectators from gathering on Market Street. The procession will end at Main and South Hicks streets.
Parade participants will follow specific exit routes once the event concludes. Cars and trucks will leave the route by continuing past Main and Hicks streets toward Charles G. Seivers Boulevard. Walking groups and floats will turn onto South Hicks Street, with walkers then heading to West Hick Street and Gilliam Street to finish behind the Community Center. Floats will exit onto West Broad Street toward Hillcrest Street. Participant parking will be available near Dragon Stadium, and a parade-day detour will be in place at North Main and North Hicks streets.
This year’s parade honors Stephenson, a Clinton native and 1966 Clinton High School graduate whose decades of community service have made him one of Anderson County’s most recognizable figures.
After earning a business management degree from Tennessee Technological University and serving in the U.S. Army — including a tour in Vietnam — Stephenson returned home to build a career in banking, real estate and auctioneering. He founded Stephenson Realty and Auction in 1982, becoming the county’s first auctioneer and later earning multiple national professional designations.
Stephenson is widely known for donating his auctioneer services to help nonprofits across East Tennessee, conducting at least 50 charity auctions a year and raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for local causes. His professional and civic service includes leadership roles with the Tennessee Real Estate Commission, Tennessee Auctioneers Association, Anderson County Chamber of Commerce, East Tennessee PBS and the Tennessee 4-H Foundation.
His honors include induction into the Tennessee Auctioneer Association Hall of Fame, the Compassion Award from Emory Valley Center, the Veteran-Owned Business Award from the Anderson County Chamber, and induction into the Clinton High School Wall of Fame.
Cityview Magazine, which named him Knoxville’s Best Auctioneer from 2019-22, once wrote that “it is magical” when Stephenson takes the microphone.
Residents are encouraged to bundle up, bring their holiday spirit and line Main Street as Clinton celebrates the season with one of its most cherished traditions.