Every December, we do something amazing together.
There's nothing quite like the magic of a community parade. Downtown Walla Walla's annual Holiday Parade of Lights is a standout event where the community comes together for a beautiful after-dark parade each December. Grab your family, a warm coat, a chair and a warm drink and join us as we kick off the holiday season.
Thank you to Nelson Construction for sponsoring this great community event!
Event Information
Join the Parade!
Clubs, churches, schools, businesses, and individuals are invited to light up and line up for the annual Holiday Parade of Lights. Held on the first Saturday of December, this event features a vast variety of lit entries and thousands of viewers in a holiday mood. Volunteers hang signs along the parade route, mark the staging area, and help wrangle the floats into place before the parade.
Parade Entry Details
Your parade entry will be assigned a number based on receipt of your application.
The Downtown Foundation reserves the right to move or alter the parade order, as needed, to accommodate any exceptional circumstances.
The height Limit for the parade is 15.5 feet.
The entry deadline is Wednesday before the parade by 3 pm.
Staging & Route
Staging begins at 3:45 pm. The parade begins at 6 pm.
The staging area is Alder Street between and including fourth through ninth streets.
From the staging area on Alder street, go East on Alder street, left on Spokane Street, left on Main Street, and Continue through Sixth Street, where the parade will disperse. You may not go back to the original staging area. Please make prior arrangements for pick-up after the parade. And please do not park in the Herring Funeral Home parking lot.
Judging
We will award first, second and third prizes. Winners will get cash.
Judging begins at 4:45 pm SHARP! Any entry not in line at that time will not be judged.
Code of Conduct
Use or possession of alcoholic beverages or illegal substances is forbidden. If intoxicated, you will be asked to leave the parade immediately and will not be allowed to participate in the future.
Respect for all entrants is required. Any unruly behavior or harassment of other parade participants is grounds for immediate removal from the parade.
Rules
There will be NO candy thrown or handouts allowed of any kind during the parade. If this rule is broken, you will not be allowed to participate in the parade next year.
All entries must be LIT.
Vehicular entries are limited to one vehicle pulling a standard trailer. The Downtown Walla Walla Foundation must approve all other vehicle entries.
UPDATED****Equestrian participants can park truck and trailers on Main Street past 6th Street. There is no parking enforcement on the weekends. These entries must clean up all manure from the staging area and parade route.
All entries must be able to negotiate a left turn onto Spokane and Main Street without running up on the curb.
Your entry may feature any Christmas Character EXCEPT Santa Claus. There is only one Santa in the parade, and he is arriving on the final float.
PLEASE NOTE: There should be NO SANTA CLAUS on your entry. This rule includes pictures, inflatables, representations, etc.
