2026 Downtown Santa Barbara Holiday Parade Participation Registration

Please fill out this form to participate in the 68th Annual Holiday Parade and submit your application by the priority deadline: Sunday, November 1st.

Please Note: Parade entry is limited per City of Santa Barbara Special Event Permit regulations and accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. This year’s event is strictly a walking parade—no vehicles, floats, e-bikes, or scooters are permitted. The parade route will end at State Street and Ortega Street.

Rule 1: The Parade Application, Entry Fee and Announcers Script must be submitted by their respective deadlines to be eligible.

Parade Application & Entry Fee Due: Sunday, November 1st.

Announcers Script Due: Friday, November 13th.

Rule 2: No objects may be thrown, sprayed or distributed along the parade route. No candy, silly string, flyers, or handouts! 

Rule 3: No Santa Claus imitations permitted. There is only ONE official Santa Claus as the last entry in the parade.

Rule 4: No advertising or political signs are allowed. All signage must be family friendly. No vendors. No selling of goods.

Rule 5: No vehicles are allowed in the assembly area for parking, drop off or pick up. Entries will receive confirmation packets the week of November 16th with all assembly, disband, and parking instructions. DSBIA reserves the right to refuse entry to the staging area on event day if outside of compliance with permit guidelines.

Rule 6: All schools or groups using bus transportation to/ from the Parade must inform DSBIA staff of the number of buses that will need parking in the disband area. 

Rule 7: If your entry is not in formation (gathered at your numbered station) 30 minutes prior to the start of the parade, you will be denied entry. The parade order is at the discretion of parade officials and is set weeks in advance. One representative from your entry must sign in at your designated area no later than 5:30 pm. All entries will be signed in before 6:00 pm or will risk not participating.

Rule 8: This is a forward movement parade. Stopping to perform or reversing direction along the route is prohibited. Groups may only stop to perform ONCE at the official judging area (in front of the Arlington Theatre). Limit the one-time performance in front of the judges' stand to no more than 30 seconds.

Rule 9: Performing for the Judges. Entries are required to continue moving throughout the entire parade route. The exception to this, is a one-time performance allowed in front of the judge's stand. Please adhere to these guidelines:

Performance length: 30 seconds MAX
Formation/set-up: 30 seconds MAX

(LARGE GROUPS TYPICALLY TAKE MORE TIME TO SET-UP. PLEASE PLAN ACCORDINGLY. IF TIME RESTRICTIONS ARE NOT MET, WE MAY BE FORCED TO ELIMINATE PERFORMANCES/JUDGING NEXT YEAR).

Rule 10: You must maintain 20 feet between your entry and the one in front of you to ensure the pace of the parade. However, DO NOT ALLOW large gaps to form between entries (no more than 3 car lengths).

Rule 11: Your entry will have a designated disband area at the end of the parade route. You must move to the farthest empty spot before disbanding. For entries with children, the entry coordinator should designate an area at the far end of the disband area, or outside of it, for children to be picked up. Remember to assign an adult to chaperone any children in your entry. Any entries carrying unrestrained passengers must unload in the disband area.

Rule 12: No smoking or alcoholic beverages on any parade entry at any time.

Rule 13: No children under the age of 5 years old may walk in the parade. Children under the age of 5 years old, may be pushed/pulled in wagon, stroller, etc.

Rule 14: The entry coordinator must agree and sign the "Parade Hold Harmless Form" and be in costume, along with every entry participant, with an appropriate holiday theme. Performing units with uniforms are excluded from wearing costumes, but are encouraged to decorate their uniforms.

Rule 15: Parents of children above the age of 5 years wanting to chaperone their children must walk behind the entry, be dressed in a holiday theme, and be included in the entry count submitted to parade officials. There must be at least one adult/parent for every 10 children.

Rule 16: Music must be kept under 50 decibels. Sound systems must be self-propelled (wagon, bike, cart).

Rule 17: The Parade Committee reserves the right to refuse or remove any entry, which, in their opinion, does not conform to parade rules. All entries MUST be of a "Holiday Theme."

Rule 18: The entry coordinator must fill out and sign the participant application, rules, and parade Hold Harmless form.

Every participant is encouraged to incorporate lighting into their entry (i.e. lights, glow sticks, etc.)

Hold Harmless Waiver:

The undersigned represents and warrants that they are the designated event coordinator or authorized representative of the registered parade entry group, with full authority to sign this agreement on behalf of themselves and all individual participants (including minor participants and their parents or legal guardians) comprising this entry.

The undersigned is aware and understands that parade participation carries certain risks of injury and harm to participants, and, on behalf of themselves and every member/participant within their entry group, voluntarily assumes all risks of harm arising out of, or connected with, participation in the 68th Annual Downtown Santa Barbara Holiday Parade.

The undersigned, individually and on behalf of all participants in their entry group, their heirs, executors, administrators, and assigns, hereby releases the Downtown Santa Barbara Improvement Association (DSBIA), its employees, agents, contractors, associates, directors, and/or officers, their heirs, executors, and/or administrators of their estates, and any and all other persons and associations connected to the Downtown Santa Barbara Improvement Association (DSBIA) from any and all liability of every nature, known or unknown, from all claims and causes of action that may result by reason of personal injury, illness, or death sustained by the undersigned or any member of their entry group, and from any and all damages to or loss of property belonging to the undersigned or any member of their entry group resulting from participation in the 68th Annual Downtown Santa Barbara Holiday Parade.

The undersigned further agrees, individually and on behalf of their entry group, to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Downtown Santa Barbara Improvement Association (DSBIA) from and against any and all claims, demands, damages, and expenses arising out of injury or damage to any other persons—including, but not limited to, parade spectators, other parade participants, and event staff—caused in whole or in part by the acts, omissions, or participation of any individual associated with this entry.

The undersigned coordinator certifies that they have collected internal consent/waivers from all individual adult participants and the parents/legal guardians of all minors within their group. In the event any participant or guardian asserts a claim against DSBIA, the undersigned coordinator and their organization agree to fully defend, indemnify, and hold DSBIA harmless from any resulting liability, costs, or damages.

Media, Photography, and Likeness Release:

By signing below, the undersigned acknowledges and agrees that the Downtown Santa Barbara Holiday Parade is a public event. Acting with the authority of and on behalf of all individuals participating in this entry group, the undersigned grants the Downtown Santa Barbara Improvement Association (DSBIA), its sponsors, partners, licensees, and media representatives full permission and irrevocable rights to capture, record, photograph, broadcast, and reproduce the likeness, image, voice, performance, and appearance of all individuals participating within this entry.

These materials (including photographs, video, and audio recordings) may be used worldwide, in perpetuity, across any and all media now known or later developed—including print, television, digital platforms, websites, and social media—for promotional, commercial, archival, informational, or editorial purposes, without compensation, inspection, or prior approval.

As the authorized event coordinator submitting this registration, the undersigned expressly confirms that they have obtained full, legally binding consent from all individual participants within their group (and the parents or legal guardians of any participating minors) to be bound by the terms of both this Hold Harmless Waiver and this Media, Photography, and Likeness Release.

Priority deadline: Sunday, November 1st.

Please Note: Parade entry is limited per City of Santa Barbara Special Event Permit regulations and accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.