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Ten Southern California city traditions
Christmas parades across Southern California in 2026
#1 · Televised city parade
Hollywood Christmas Parade
Hollywood in Los Angeles
View photo credit for Hollywood Christmas Parade
Photo courtesy of The Hollywood Christmas Parade
Hollywood Christmas Parade official websiteThe Hollywood Christmas Parade is the largest production in this guide, combining celebrity appearances, marching bands, dance and cheer groups, character balloons, floats and a national television program on the streets around Hollywood Boulevard.
- Date
- Sunday, November 29, 2026
- Start time
- Awaiting the organizer's full 2026 event schedule
- Format
- Large televised street parade
What to expect
- Large character balloons and floats
- Marching bands, dance teams and performers
- Celebrity and television components
- Annual support for Toys for Tots programs
#2 · Illuminated Old Town parade
Santa's Electric Light Parade
Old Town Temecula
View photo credit for Santa's Electric Light Parade
Photo by Nathaniel Joseph Culver, shared by Visit Temecula Valley
Santa's Electric Light Parade in Old Town TemeculaTemecula's nighttime parade brings illuminated floats, decorated vehicles, school bands, marchers and community groups down Jefferson Avenue into Old Town. It is a strong choice for visitors who want lights to be the visual focus of a traditional street parade.
- Date
- Friday, December 4, 2026
- Start
- 7:00 p.m.
- Route
- South from Jefferson Avenue and Del Rio Road into Old Town
What to expect
- Lighted floats and decorated vehicles
- School bands and community marching groups
- Straightforward southbound parade route
- Old Town restaurants and businesses nearby
#3 · Island community tradition
Coronado Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting
Orange Avenue in Coronado
View photo credit for Coronado Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting
Photo courtesy of Discover Coronado
Coronado Holiday Parade and Tree LightingCoronado's annual community parade on Orange Avenue is scheduled for December 4 and traditionally ends with Santa's arrival and the tree-lighting countdown at Rotary Park. The organizer has not yet posted the final 2026 start time or turn-by-turn public route.
- Date
- Friday, December 4, 2026
- Start time
- Awaiting the final 2026 public schedule
- Route
- Orange Avenue village route; final 2026 map pending
What to expect
- Local organizations, clubs and businesses
- Santa closes the parade
- Tree-lighting countdown at Rotary Park
- Walkable village businesses along Orange Avenue
#4 · Long Beach neighborhood parade
Belmont Shore Christmas Parade
Second Street in Long Beach
View photo credit for Belmont Shore Christmas Parade
Photo courtesy of Visit Long Beach
Belmont Shore Christmas ParadeThe Belmont Shore Christmas Parade fills Second Street with more than 100 entries, including floats, marching bands, drum corps, community groups, local personalities and Santa. It is free, open to all ages and centered in a lively Long Beach business district.
- Date
- Saturday, December 5, 2026
- Hours
- 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
- Admission
- Free with no ticket or RSVP required
What to expect
- More than 100 parade entries
- Marching bands, drum corps and community floats
- Santa and holiday characters
- Free official livestream
#5 · Old Town nighttime parade
Monrovia Holiday Parade
Old Town Monrovia
View photo credit for Monrovia Holiday Parade
Photo by Nathan McIntire / Patch
Holiday Cheer Motors, Marches and Cartwheels Up Myrtle AvenueMonrovia transforms Myrtle Avenue into an evening winter wonderland with festive floats, marching bands, neighborhood groups and Santa. The compact Old Town route keeps the procession close to decorated storefronts and gives this city parade an especially bright street-level atmosphere.
- Date
- Thursday, December 3, 2026
- Hours
- 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
- Route
- North on Myrtle Avenue from Chestnut Avenue to Palm Avenue
What to expect
- Nighttime procession through decorated Old Town
- Festive floats and marching bands
- Compact Myrtle Avenue viewing route
- Santa closes the community celebration
#6 · Glendale nighttime tradition
Montrose–Glendale Christmas Parade
Honolulu Avenue in Montrose
View photo credit for Montrose–Glendale Christmas Parade
Photo courtesy of Montrose Christmas Parade Association
Montrose–Glendale Christmas Parade official websiteThe 48th Montrose–Glendale Christmas Parade brings illuminated performers, community groups, floats, fire vehicles and Santa to Honolulu Avenue after dark. Holiday lights across the commercial district frame a large hometown procession sponsored by the City of Glendale.
- Date
- Saturday, December 5, 2026
- Start
- 6:10 p.m.
- Route
- East on Honolulu Avenue from Rosemont Avenue to Verdugo Road
What to expect
- Illuminated nighttime performers and entries
- Holiday-lit Honolulu Avenue route
- 48th annual community parade
- Santa and Glendale fire-department participation
#7 · Main Street evening parade
Seal Beach Christmas Parade
Main Street in Old Town Seal Beach
View photo credit for Seal Beach Christmas Parade
Photo by Walt Weis / Patch
Slideshow: Seal Beach Christmas ParadeSeal Beach fills Main Street with decorated floats, cars, wagons, bikes, bands, animals and Santa in a fully nighttime hometown parade. The compact route runs beneath the Old Town holiday lights from the pier area toward Pacific Coast Highway.
- 2026 date
- Awaiting the organizer's announcement
- Annual start
- 7:00 p.m.; reconfirm for 2026
- Route
- Main Street from the Seal Beach Pier area to Pacific Coast Highway
What to expect
- Fully nighttime Main Street procession
- Decorated vehicles, floats and community groups
- Holiday lights throughout Old Town
- Santa arrives as the final entry
#8 · Horsetown parade of lights
Norco Christmas Parade of Lights
Sixth Street in Norco
View photo credit for Norco Christmas Parade of Lights
Photo courtesy of Norco Horsemen's Association
Norco Horsemen's Association Christmas Parade 2025 albumNorco's Horsetown Parade of Lights sends equestrian groups, floats and decorated community entries east along Sixth Street after sunset. Every entry is required to carry holiday lighting, making this one of the most consistently illuminated street parades in the guide.
- Date
- Saturday, December 12, 2026
- Start
- 5:00 p.m.
- Route
- East on Sixth Street from Corona Avenue to the Ingalls Event Center
- Admission
- Free to watch the parade
What to expect
- Holiday lighting required on every entry
- Lighted equestrian and western-themed groups
- Free evening parade viewing
- Christmas Festival continues at Ingalls Event Center
#9 · Downtown evening parade
Downtown Pomona Holiday Parade
Second Street in Pomona
View photo credit for Downtown Pomona Holiday Parade
Photo courtesy of Downtown Pomona
Downtown Pomona Holiday ParadePomona's free evening parade travels from the Centennial Park area along Second Street and Park Avenue before wrapping near Mission Boulevard and Garey Avenue. A post-parade gathering at Shaun Diamond Plaza keeps downtown active afterward.
- Date
- Saturday, December 12, 2026
- Start
- 6:00 p.m.
- Admission
- Free and open to everyone
What to expect
- Evening procession through downtown
- Free public viewing
- Second Street and Park Avenue route
- Holiday at the Plaza continues until 9:00 p.m.
#10 · Illuminated Inland Empire parade
Beaumont Holiday Light Parade
Downtown Beaumont
View photo credit for Beaumont Holiday Light Parade
Photo courtesy of City of Beaumont
Beaumont eNewsletter - December 2021Beaumont combines its Holiday Light Parade with the Blizzard Bash market downtown. Lighted floats and marching groups travel from 10th Street toward the Civic Center while vendors, family activities and live entertainment fill the surrounding event area.
- Date
- Saturday, December 12, 2026 based on the official second-Saturday schedule
- Start
- 5:00 p.m.
- Route
- From 10th Street and Beaumont Avenue toward 8th, Magnolia and 6th Street
What to expect
- Lighted floats and marching groups
- Holiday market with more than 60 vendors
- Free Santa visits and family activities
- Parade awards announced after the procession
Planning 01
Choose between a major production and a hometown parade
Hollywood is the largest destination-style production in this list, with elaborate floats, balloons, performers and crowds that require advance transportation planning. Belmont Shore sits between a regional attraction and a neighborhood tradition because more than 100 entries move through one compact business district.
Temecula, Norco and Beaumont put illuminated entries at the center of the experience. Monrovia, Montrose, Seal Beach and Pomona add decorated downtown streets, local organizations, schools and neighborhood businesses. Coronado links its nighttime parade to a major tree lighting. Choose the atmosphere first, then compare the date and drive.
Planning 02
Compare the two busiest parade weekends
The first major run begins with Monrovia on Thursday, December 3, followed by Temecula and Coronado on Friday, December 4. Belmont Shore and Montrose–Glendale follow on Saturday, December 5. These cities are far enough apart that each parade should be treated as its own outing rather than as stops on one route.
Saturday, December 12 brings three evening choices: Norco, Beaumont and Pomona. Norco and Beaumont begin at 5:00 p.m.; Pomona begins at 6:00 p.m. The schedule makes a same-day pairing possible only on paper because road closures, parking and the distance between routes make a rushed double-header impractical.
November 29
Hollywood opens the guide's 2026 calendar on the Sunday after Thanksgiving
December 3–4
Choose Monrovia on Thursday or Temecula and Coronado on Friday
December 5
Choose Belmont Shore in Long Beach or the Montrose–Glendale night parade
December 12
Compare the illuminated evening routes in Norco, Beaumont and Pomona
Planning 03
Plan the viewing block before the parking lot
A parade route can stretch more than a mile, and the best parking choice depends on where the group plans to watch. Pick the viewing block first, note the direction of travel and then use the official closure map to select a parking area outside the controlled streets. A random map pin in the middle of the route can direct a driver into a closure.
Bring only what the organizer allows. Some events permit chairs and blankets after a published setup time, while others need sidewalks and medians kept clear. Leave space for mobility devices, supervise children near the curb and avoid blocking business entrances or residential driveways.
Planning 04
Recheck every organizer before leaving
A confirmed date does not guarantee that every 2026 operational detail is final. Organizers may release road closures, parking maps, accessibility viewing areas, grand marshals and weather policies closer to the event. Open the official link again on parade day and save the current instructions to the phones used by the group.
This guide does not substitute an older schedule when a 2026 organizer has not published one. That distinction matters most for Hollywood, Coronado and Seal Beach. Their status labels will become fully confirmed after the current spectator schedules are available.