Staging Information

Information for Participants

The information provided will help you and your volunteers and participants make the most of your experience.

With the exception of WALKING UNITS, all other units including MOTORIZED, EQUESTRIAN and FLOATS are to check in on Weatherford Street at Henderson Street.

  • Please place the unit number placard received in your staging information email in the window of your ENTRY VEHICLE or have ready for the check-in Captains.
  • Please arrive and locate your entry in the space designated no later than 4:00 PM – Latecomers will NOT be accommodated and will be removed from the parade without refund.
  • MOTORIZED UNITS (vehicles) will be directed to LOT A just east of Burnett Street on the south side of Weatherford. The lot captain will direct you to the proper space.
  • EQUESTRIAN UNITS (horses) will move to side streets on the north side of Weatherford, Taylor, Burnett and Lamar, between Belknap Street at Weatherford Street. Captains there will direct your support vehicles to the right location where you can unload your horses.
  • FLOATS AND LARGE VEHICLES will be directed to either the north side or the south side of Weatherford Street, depending on unit number. Proceed forward to the placard showing your unit number and park there for preparation and staging.

Access to the staging areas will be limited to those vehicles displaying the placard, and you will receive your placard when you check in at your assigned check in location. These vehicles are either being used for transport (equestrian) or to participate directly in the parade itself. Vehicles providing support services will be allowed; however, they must all be removed and parked in designated garages by 4:30 PM to keep the staging area clear.

Parking is available in three locations, all within easy walking distance of the staging areas. Passes are not needed at any of these garages, but they may fill up quickly. Please note if you have additional vehicles needing access to the staging area to prepare your float, please remove those vehicles to the garage parking locations prior to 4:30 PM.

  • Tower Garage – this garage is located between Taylor and Lamar Streets, with entrances on 4th Street and 5th Parking is free. It’s about a five-block walk to Weatherford Street.
  • Sundance Square Parking Garage III – this is located on 3rd Street at Taylor Street, and the entrance ramp is on 3rd Parking is free.
  • Tarrant County Parking Garage – this garage is located at 601 Weatherford Street between Cherry Street and Burnett Street, and the entrance is on Weatherford Street. Large vehicles are not allowed into the garage. Parking is free. NOTE: This garage access will close at 4:00 PM. In addition, you will NOT be able to exit this garage until the parade has concluded and Weatherford Street has been opened by the Fort Worth Police Department.

Drop off:

Drop off for parade participants is located at 801 Weatherford Street, on the north side of Weatherford Street between Henderson and Florence Streets. PLEASE do not attempt to enter the staging areas for drop off. Participants must be dropped off no later than 4:00 PM.

Parade Policies: Please review the Parade Policies carefully. You will be responsible for the information contained in these pages. It is important that everyone associated with your parade entry abide by the parade policies or it may result in the immediate removal of the entire entry from the parade with forfeiture of your participation fee.

  • Non-compliance with our lighting requirements will result in your dismissal from the parade, and you will forfeit your participation fee.
  • If you are entered as a non-profit organization, NO commercial signage will be allowed on your entry, otherwise you will need to pay the commercial fee.
  • Remember that NO SANTA CLAUS is allowed on any entry, although elves, Scrooge, Grinch, etc., are allowed.
  • If you have generators, you MUST have a fire extinguisher.
  • PLEASE NOTE that ALL FLOATS must use flame-retardant materials in their construction, or be treated with flame-retardant chemicals. ALL HAY BALES MUST BE TREATED WITH FIREPROOFING. The Fire Marshal will be on site to inspect floats, and you will be asked to show proof of this by presenting a certificate from the materials or chemicals used. Please note that non-compliance will result in dismissal from the parade.

We appreciate your efforts in meeting the lighting requirements. We know how much work it is to prepare your entry for participation in the greatest holiday light parade in America.  We appreciate EVERYTHING you do to make this event number one in the community.

If you have any questions or need additional information, please call our office at (817) 336-2787.