Welcome to the OFFICIAL web site of the Ocala/Marion County Christmas Parade, sponsored by the Friends of the Christmas Parade, Inc. The Parade has been an Ocala tradition for 59 recorded years and is traditionally held the first Saturday of December. However, beginning in 2010 the Parade will take place on the Second Saturday of December. Please take note of this significant change.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
DATE OF PARADE: December 14th, 2013
2013 UNIT APPLICATIONS: Available HERE!
UNIT APPLICATION DEADLINE: October 15th, 2013
TIME: Parade begins at 5:30 PM!
2013 THEME: “A Frosty White Christmas!”
2013 Jr. PARADE MARSHALL: Dylan Williams
FOOD VENDOR PERMITS: Not Available!
NOVELTY VENDOR RFP: Not Available!
BLEACHER TICKETS: Not Available!
2012 PARADE MARSHALL: Floyd Hershberger of B-J Trophies Awards & Gifts
CONTACT INFO: Go Here!
Update: A few commonly asked questions:
When will Bleacher Tickets become available? Bleacher seats will be sold online again this year beginning in October.
How much does it cost to be in the Parade? The entry fee for the parade is $75 which will be refunded to you if you are not chosen to be in the parade.
When do the applications for the 2013 Parade get posted? Applications for the 2013 Parade are posted HERE.
When do the roads get shut down? State Road 40 (Silver Springs Blvd.) will be shut down at 4:00 PM.
Where is the Parade exactly? Here’s a map of the Parade Route: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=216314169794823562604.0004b0d8927493c2ddb0a&msa=0
Is the Parade Broadcast Re-Aired? The Parade airs live on the Marion Education Channel (MEC) available to more than 200,000 viewers on more than a dozen local cable systems including Brighthouse (Channel 198), Comcast (Channel 99) and Cox (Channel 12), as well as over-the-air on digital channel 7.1. The Parade replays on the MEC through December every Friday and Saturday at 7PM and Sundays at 2PM.
Where can I get a DVD of the Parade? You can request a copy of the Parade DVD by calling Chadwick Pierce at 352-671-7774!
Where can I find the winners of the Parade Floats? You can find the winners of the 2012 Christmas Parade Float Contest HERE!
Where can I find the pictures taken at the Parade? If you are looking for pictures from the 2011 Christmas Parade, they are located HERE! Picture from the 2012 Christmas Parade are currently being uploaded, but you can find them HERE!
The Parade attracts over 60,000 spectators from Ocala/Marion County and surrounding counties who line up along more than 2 miles of East Silver Springs Blvd in Ocala, Florida. Some of these spectators arrive as early as the Friday before the parade to “mark their spot” with lawn chairs, trucks, flatbed trailers or motor homes.
This site was created by the Friends of the Christmas Parade, Inc. : a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, to help inform the community of the happenings of the parade.
