Fears end Lillington’s beloved nighttime Christmas parade

The Town of Lillington broke its nighttime Christmas parade tradition at the Aug. 11 work session. The board decided on a daylight parade, citing safety concerns with a larger population and fear of lawsuits.

Police Captain Scott Goodman exemplified an Erwin Christmas parade during night hours14 years ago when a boy, 3, was killed in a parking lot after being struck by a vehicle. The parents sued the Town of Erwin.

Goodman lined up nighttime issues:

A growing population multiplied crowd control challenges, stretching safety resources to their limits.

Lillington does not have adequate street lighting.

Parking lots fill up fast, forcing people to spill into the streets.

There are not enough law enforcement officers to patrol crowds and block traffic.

“Each year, seems like people enjoy the parade a little too much,” Mayor Glenn McFadden said about partying behavior associated with nighttime activity.

The 2025 Lillington Christmas parade will be Sat., Dec. 13 at 10 a.m.

Participants are not allowed to throw candy toward attendees because they may run into the road. However, people walking in the parade may hand candy to attendees.

The 10 a.m. starting time allows parade participants to travel to Broadway for their 2 p.m. parade.

Aug. 11, 2025

Stephanie M. Sellers