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2025 Lights of December Parade Instructions, Rules and Regulations

Saturday, December 13, 2025 | Staging 5:00 PM | Parade Start 6:00 PM

Parade Contact: Stephen Oskay, Event & Operations Manager (stephen@downtownboulder.org). Please reach out to Stephen with any questions. 

Thank you for participating in Downtown Boulder’s 2025 Lights of December Parade! Please make sure that all of the participants in your parade group are aware of the rules and requirements of the Lights of December Parade. You can watch and share the video below and/or read through the content on this page. 

Reglas y Regulaciones

GENERAL INFORMATION

PARADE PREP

  • All confirmed participants will receive an email with staging information a week prior to the parade. This email will include details on staging number and location. 
  • The parade will take place on Saturday, December 13, 2025 and begins PROMPTLY at 6:00 PM. Please be there when instructed to - the parade will move without you if you are not ready to go. 
  • Please bring a large sign for the front of your entry with your staging number and the name of your group clearly marked. 
    • It is important to have this number ready for your group upon arrival so that our staging volunteers can help you find your position and appropriately place entries around you. 
    • Please display the sign somewhere unobstructed and visible on the vehicle or with your group leader. 
  • Make sure to have a designated point person in charge of your entry group. This person will be responsible for checking in with staging volunteers upon your arrival. Volunteers will be wearing orange vests and will be walking around the staging area. 
  • Make sure everyone in your group knows your staging number and on which block you will be staged. Your number reflects the order in which you will be participating. 
  • If you are utilizing a vehicle in the parade, please share the staging/unloading instructions and the map with your group’s driver. Be sure that the vehicle/group is facing in the correct direction to move with the flow of the parade. 

PARKING

  • Please carpool, as we would like to leave as much available parking as possible for spectators. 
  • Parking in all City of Boulder parking structures (looks for the green ‘P’ on the maps provided in participants email) is FREE the night of the parade. This includes the parking garage located at 15th and Pearl Street. 
  • Parade night is also a great night to utilize the RTD bus system and HOP, SKIP, or JUMP downtown. Downtown is the major hub for RTD bus routes and you can get downtown by bus from just about anywhere in Boulder. 

STAGING

General Directions

  • When you arrive, please check in with the staging volunteer assigned to your block to make sure you are staged in the correct spot. These volunteers will be wearing orange vests. 
  • Refer to the provided map to locate your (pre-parade) staging area and the parade route. When entering the area, please proceed directly to your assigned space and turn off your engine (if applicable) upon arrival. 
  • Once you are in the staging area, please make sure that your parade entry is as close as possible to the float staged in front of your entry. 
  • Please remain in your designated staging area and stay on or close to the curb if you are outside of your vehicle, as other parade vehicles may drive down the street. 
  • Only vehicles used in the parade will be allowed in the staging areas. If you need to drop off or pick up children, plan on parking outside of the staging area and walking in. 
  • Parade staff, including Downtown Boulder staff, parade security, police or authorized volunteers will be present to coordinate and direct entries to line up in the correct staging order. 

Staging Area Rules

  • The staging area opens at 5:00 PM. There is no general parking within designated parade staging areas. 
  • Please follow any directions given by parade staff, parade security, police officers or authorized volunteers in orange vests. 
  • The staging areas will be dark, so we encourage participants to bring headlamps, flashlights, or other safety materials. 
  • Staging wait time will vary based on your assigned parade entry number. 
  • Feel free to bring snacks and water to enjoy while waiting in the staging area. 
    • Food and coffee shops near the staging area include: 
      • OZO Coffee Roasters (East Pearl) - 1521 Pearl Street 
      • Mountain Sun Pub & Brewery - 1535 Pearl Street
      • Organic Sandwich Company - 1500 Pearl Street
      • Creature Comforts Cafe - 1647 Pearl Street 
      • Pearl Convenience - 1640 Pearl Street
      • Laughing Goat Coffee House - 1709 Pearl Street 
    • For a complete list of shops on the East End, please visit our website. 
  • Please refer to the staging map provided in the participant email to locate your staging position number.  
  • Someone MUST stay with the float/entry/vehicle at all times. Do not leave entries unattended. 
  • If you encounter a lost or missing child, please flag down a volunteer in an orange vest to contact Downtown Boulder staff. 
  • Public restrooms are located behind the Visitor Information Center (1303 Pearl Street) on the 1300 block of the Pearl Street Mall. Winter hours are 10 am - 6:30 pm.
  • Please respect the private property of the businesses and neighborhoods and stay off of lawns, driveways, and areas past the sidewalk. 
  • Please clean up after yourself in the staging area; don’t leave any trash, decorations, hand-out, etc. on streets, sidewalks, or private property. There are marked trashcans up and down Pearl Street. 

DURING THE PARADE

  • Make sure that you display your large sign with the parade entry number and organization name at the front of your entry. This helps the announcers to correctly identify your group. 
  • There is a reviewing stand at Broadway and Pearl Streets. Please plan to stop there while your parade announcement is read. 
  • Please limit your reviewing stand performance (if any) to 30 seconds. 
  • Keep up with the entry in front of you and the general pace of the parade. Our staging captain (Downtown Boulder staff) will show you how much of a gap to leave between you and the entry in front of you as you leave the staging area. Please do your best to maintain that distance during the entire parade. 
  • Throwing of any item from a float to the crowd is STRICTLY PROHIBITED during the parade. 
    • This is a serious safety issue, as throwing items may strike someone unintentionally or prompt children to run out into the street. 
    • If you throw candy or any other items, you will not be invited back to future parades. 

Please remain in the center of the road and away from the street side barricades while following the parade route: 

  • PARADE STARTS as you enter the intersection at Walnut and 15th 
  • Move west on Walnut 
  • Turn right onto Broadway at the intersection of Walnut and Broadway 
  • Move north up Broadway to Spruce
  • Turn right at the intersection of Broadway and Spruce onto Spruce Street
  • Follow Spruce Street east 
  • PARADE ENDS at Spruce and 15th 

DISPERSING AND UNLOADING AFTER THE PARADE

  • The parade route ends at 15th and Spruce Streets. 
    • If you and everyone in your party is ready to leave, please turn LEFT on 15th Street and head towards Pine Street to leave the area. 
    • If you need to unload passengers before leaving the area, please pull through the intersection at 15th and Spruce Streets and pull over on Spruce wherever there is a free spot to the right to safely unload. 
  • DO NOT at any point block the road or intersection with your vehicle(s). 
  • Please disperse quickly at the end of the parade so that entries behind you can get out. No more than THREE minutes to clear the dispersal area.
  • Follow directions given by parade staff, security, police, and authorized volunteers. 

OFFICIAL RULES & REGULATIONS

Failure to adhere to the rules and regulations below will disqualify you from participating in future parades organized by Downtown Boulder.

  1. Absolutely NO live Santas! There can only be one, and he comes at the end of the parade. 
  2. NO drinking and driving while operating participating floats/vehicles. If your float/vehicle driver(s) are suspected of being intoxicated, they will be asked to leave the parade. 
  3. Throwing of any item from a float or parade group to the crowd is STRICTLY PROHIBITED during the parade. This is a serious safety issue, as throwing items may strike someone unintentionally or prompt children to run out into the street. If you throw candy or any other items, you will not be invited back to future parades. Walking up to parade spectators located beyond the fencing and handing items to them is acceptable. 
  4. Each parade entry may have up to 50 participants riding/walking with the float. 
  5. No political or overtly commercial advertisements are permitted on floats or entries. 
  6. Limit one large vehicle (fire trucks, flatbed trailers, etc.) OR two small vehicles per parade entry. Non-motor vehicles such as bikes, scooters, etc. are welcome. 
  7. Participants must notify parade organizers in advance if you plan to include amplified sound as part of your float. This helps the event organizers stagger amplified sound within the parade. If you do not tell us about your amplified sound ahead of time, you may be placed next to someone else with amplified sound. 
  8. The use of livestock MUST be pre-approved by event organizers. You MUST have side walkers and someone to pick up animal waste as you move through the parade. 
  9. Please remain in your staging area once you have set up your float. There must be one person by the float/your entry position at all times after checking in. 
  10. While waiting for the parade to start, please be mindful that floats/vehicles may still be driving through the parade staging area. If you can, congregate on the curb. 
  11. Once your float has completed the parade route, please ensure that all of the participants in your group are safely on the sidewalk.
  12. Be courteous to event staff, volunteers, and fellow participants.
  13. Please follow event staff, parade security, police and authorized volunteer instructions before, during, and after the event. 
  14. The parade route ends at 15th and Spruce Streets. You must disperse quickly and in an organized fashion so that traffic is not blocked and entries can get out behind you. 
    1. If you and everyone in your party is ready to leave, please turn LEFT on 15th Street and head towards Pine Street to leave the area. 
    2. If you need to unload passengers before leaving the area, please pull through the intersection at 15th and Spruce Streets and pull over on Spruce wherever there is a free spot to the right to safely unload.