Palm Springs Festival of Lights Parade

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Web: PSFestivalOf Lights.com

Email: Ray Pulver, Parade Producer
Phone: 408-629-2520

OR
Email: Jasmine Sullivan-Waits, Special Events Manager
Mail: Palm Springs Parks and Recreation, 401 S. Pavilion Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262
Phone: 760-323-8276

If you're interested in entering your band in the Palm Springs Festival of Lights Parade, please request an application from Ray Pulver at the contact info above.

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Hollywood stars, children's favorite characters, giant helium balloons, marching bands and of course Santa. Assemble them into one parade, add colorful lights, and open the festive holiday season with delight for all ages. It's the Palm Springs Festival of Lights Parade, a two-hour spectacle through Downtown Palm Springs on the first Saturday in December.

Celebrating its 31st year in 2023, the Palm Springs Festival of Lights Parade is consistently rated one of the best events in Southern California and one of the "top" holiday parades in the USA. Marching bands are an important part of the parade and often match the spirit of the nighttime spectacle by performing holiday music and adorning their uniforms with lights.

The parade is a destination for marching bands and draws groups from beyond the local area. The 2017 parade included seven international bands in the lineup in conjunction with the World Association of Marching Show Bands (WAMSB) Championships which was held in Palm Springs the same week.

The 1.25-mile parade route travels up Palm Canyon Drive from Ramon Road to Tamarisk Road. A crowd of 100,000 spectators lines the route each year.

The parade is televised live on NBC Palm Springs and Univision Palm Springs. The parade is also offered to NBC affiliate stations across the country.

• Brawley Union High School Wildcat Marching Band, Brawley, CA
• Cesar Chavez HS Marching Band & Colorguard, Stockton, CA
• Channel Island High School Raider Band, Oxnard, CA
• Coachella Valley High School Band, Thermal, CA
• Colony High School Titan Regiment, Ontario, CA
• Compton High School Band and Attached Units, Compton, CA
• Desert Mirage High School Mighty Scarlet Regiment Ram Band & Pageantry, Thermal, CA
• Heartbeat Music & Performing Arts Academy - Thunder Squad Drumline, San Diego, CA
• Indio High School Pride of the Desert Marching Band and Color Guard, Indio, CA
• Jurupa Valley High School Marching Band, Jurupa Valley, CA
• Palm Desert Charter Middle School Marching Panthers & Alumni, Palm Desert, CA
• Palm Springs Air Museum Pipe Band, Hemet, CA
• Palm Springs High School Spirit of the Sands Marching Band and Visual Corps, Palm Desert, CA
• Rancho Mirage High School Rattler Regiment, Rancho Mirage, CA
• Raymond Cree Middle School Desert Treasure Marching Band & Visual Corps, Palm Springs, CA
• Skyhawks Marching Regiment - Summit High School, Fontana, CA
• Toro Canyon Middle School ASES Drumline, Thermal, CA
• Wilsonettes Drill Team and Drum Squad, Moreno Valley, CA

Bands traveling to Palm Springs for the Festival of Lights Parade can take advantage of educational and entertaining opportunities including:

• Palm Springs Tramway
• Downtown Palm Springs
• Palm Springs Walk of Stars
• VillageFest
• Living Desert Zoo
• Natural wonders including Joshua Tree National Park, Salton Sea, Mojave National Preserve and Death Valley National Park
• Major attractions including Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm, Legoland, Hollywood and San Diego Zoo

Greater Palm Springs is surrounded by four picturesque mountain ranges and is known for its blue skies, inspiring scenery and sense of adventure. Since the 1920s, Palm Springs has been Hollywood's desert playground for celebrities. The legendary "Two-Hour Rule" of Hollywood studios put Palm Springs on the map for actors who had to be available within two hours for last-minute film/photo shoots.

Saturday, December 2, 2023
Saturday, December 7, 2024
Saturday, December 6, 2025
(Always held the first Saturday of December)

Web: PSFestivalOfLights.com

Email: Ray Pulver, Parade Producer
Phone: 408-629-2520

OR
Email: Jasmine Sullivan-Waits, Special Events Manager
Mail: Palm Springs Parks and Recreation, 401 S. Pavilion Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262
Phone: 760-323-8276

If you're interested in entering your band in the Palm Springs Festival of Lights Parade, please request an application from Ray Pulver at the contact info above.