2026 Holiday Parade – Winter Wonderland
Saturday, November 21, 2026 | 10:00 AM
Deadline to sign up is noon on Friday, November 13, 2026
Get ready to bring the magic of the holiday season to life! This year, the City of Reading invites you to celebrate our annual Holiday Parade in Downtown Reading with the enchanting theme, “Winter Wonderland!” Together, we will fill Penn Street with holiday magic, celebrate the spirit of community, and create a Winter Wonderland that brings joy to everyone!
We encourage parade participants to embrace the Winter Wonderland theme by showcasing creative floats, festive decorations, winter-inspired costumes, joyful performances, and plenty of holiday magic. Whether you bring a snowy scene to life, spread cheer through music and dance, or add your own creative twist to the season, we invite you to help make this year's parade a memorable experience for families and visitors of all ages.
We look forward to kicking off the holiday season with you and continue making this year's parade a magical community tradition!
A Few Important Things to Remember:
- Parade Date & Time: Saturday, November 21, 2026, beginning at 10:00 AM.
- Parade Route: The parade will travel along Penn Street from 11th and Penn to 2nd and Penn. Participant staging and lineup will take place in and around City Park.
- Vehicle Limit: Groups with multiple vehicles are asked to limit their entries to 4–5 vehicles to ensure a smooth parade flow. We also ask that you do not rev engines along the parade route, as this impacts fellow participants and spectators.
- Parade Judging: Judging will take place in the categories of Best Float, Best Band, and Best Performance. Judges will be located at the staging area at 5th and Penn.
- Participant Lineup: All participants will be assigned a division and unit number. Each division will have a designated arrival time, lineup time, and location within City Park. Please arrive on time. It is important you line up in your assigned location and correct order to for the announcer to properly introduce your group at 5th and Penn.
- Candy & Giveaways: For everyone's safety, participants are NOT permitted to throw candy, promotional items, or any objects from vehicles or floats. All items must be HANDED directly to spectators by walking participants.
- Performance Music: Participants who will be performing and require music to be played at 5th and Penn must submit their music by November 13, 2026, to allow our sound technician time to prepare for parade day. Please email music to DowntownReading@readingpa.gov.
- Santa Claus: Santa is our very special guest and the highlight of our holiday celebration! Out of respect for Santa's special role, no other Santas will be permitted in the parade. Santa hats, however, are welcome!
Together let's make this year's Holiday Parade a magical Winter Wonderland. We can't wait to see your magic on Penn Street in Downtown Reading on Saturday, November 21st!