El Segundo Holiday Parade
El Segundo, CA
El Segundo’s 60-plus-year community Holiday Parade — floats, marching bands, dance troupes, and community organizations down Main Street through the heart of downtown.
El Segundo’s 60-plus-year community Holiday Parade — floats, marching bands, dance troupes, and community organizations down Main Street through the heart of downtown.
The El Segundo Holiday Parade is the city’s signature December tradition — a 60-plus-year community parade that closes Main Street from Mariposa Avenue south through the downtown core for an afternoon of marching bands, floats, vintage cars, dance troupes, civic groups, and youth organizations.
The parade leans into the small-city character El Segundo is known for: neighbors line the curb on lawn chairs and blankets, downtown merchants stay open with sidewalk specials, and the route ends at the El Segundo Civic Center grounds. For families across the city — Smoky Hollow, the residential blocks west of Main, the East Imperial neighborhoods — and the surrounding South Bay communities, this is the official kickoff to the El Segundo holiday season.
The parade pairs naturally with a daytime walk along the Candy Cane Lane residential blocks (a tradition predating many of today’s residents) and an evening at the Joy Around the World tree lighting at City Hall Plaza — three distinct El Segundo holiday landmarks across one December weekend.
Anywhere along Main Street from Mariposa Avenue south through downtown El Segundo to the Civic Center grounds. The blocks nearest the Civic Center fill first; arrive 30+ minutes early for a curb spot.
Typically Sunday afternoon, starting around 1:00 PM and lasting approximately two hours.
Yes — the parade itself is free to attend. Food and merchandise from neighboring downtown businesses are paid separately.
Main Street closes for the parade. Park along the surrounding residential side streets east and west of Main, or use the El Segundo Civic Center lot at 350 Main Street if open. Closer blocks fill fast; walk in from a few blocks away.
Yes — the Metro C Line stops at El Segundo Station, about a mile east of downtown. From there it’s a short bus or rideshare ride west on El Segundo Boulevard or Imperial Highway to the parade route. With Main Street closed and parking gone fast, transit is a real option.
Main Street in El Segundo is the city’s compact downtown commercial corridor — a walkable stretch from Mariposa Avenue south through to Imperial Highway, lined with locally-owned restaurants, the historic Old Town Music Hall, and small-town storefronts. The El Segundo Civic Center anchors Main Street; the city’s residential blocks fan out on either side. The Metro C Line (formerly Green) at the El Segundo station sits about a mile east of downtown.
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