It's one of Texas' largest lighted Christmas parades, and it's returning to Downtown Temple Monday, December 2.

The 73rd Annual Temple Christmas Parade starts at the intersection of E. Adams Avenue and N. 8th Street, proceeds west along Adams Avenue in front of the Municipal Building to North 23rd Street, then turns north and disbands at Temple High School.

The parade starts at 6:30 PM, but you'll want to stake out a spot along the parade route early. If you can, try to make it to City Hall by 6:15 PM so you can watch the tree lighting.

Schedule of Events

4:00 pm – 6th and 8th Streets closed for parade entries.
5:45 pm – No traffic allowed down Adams Avenue.
6:15 pm – Tree lighting at City Hall (2 N. Main Street) with Mayor Tim Davis.
6:30 pm – Parade begins with over 100 illuminated floats and the traditional marching band.
7:20 pm – Santa begins his trip down the parade route on a specially designed float.

Map Courtesy of City of Temple
Map Courtesy of City of Temple
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Of course, no parade is complete without a Grand Marshal. This year, the honor goes to Temple ISD Superintendent Dr. Bobby Ott.

“This is a great opportunity to represent Temple ISD as part of this longstanding community tradition,” said Dr. Ott. “For the last seven years, I have watched this parade alongside of Temple families and am grateful for another opportunity to connect with our students, families and TISD staff members. I hope to see everyone there!”

We hope to see everyone there too. We also want to see everyone have a safe time, so we're sharing these safety tips from the Temple Police Department:

  • Please ensure all children are accounted for. Set up a meeting spot in case they get separated.
  • Tell your children if they do get lost, they should approach the nearest uniformed police officer immediately.
  • Write down your phone number on a piece of paper and place it into your child’s pocket so you can be called if your child is found.
  • Take a photograph of your child in what they will be wearing that day. This way, officers will have an accurate photo to use as a reference.
  • Make sure that your vehicle is locked and windows are secured. DO NOT leave any valuables in your vehicle.
  • While driving, please be mindful of the increased pedestrian traffic.

Police will be setting up a Mobile Command Center at Temple High School in case anyone attending the parade needs assistance. You can also ask about help at Temple PD headquarters 209 E Avenue A.

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