You’re invited to join us for the 40th Annual Holiday Parade themed “A Rockin’ Holiday Parade” on Friday, November 28, 2025. Presented by the Downtown Billings Business Improvement District (BID) and AVA Law Group, the parade begins at 6:30pm at North 32nd Street and heads East on 2nd Avenue North toward Skypoint.
The Downtown Holiday Parade is a cherished Billings tradition that takes place the Friday after Thanksgiving. Each entry is crafted by individual local businesses, organizations, and community groups excited to share their holiday spirit with our community. This year’s parade line-up has over fifty parade entries with the Eugene Sara Detachment, United States Marine Corp League at the front of the parade as the honor guard and Santa making an appearance in the parade finale on the Billings Fire Department’s Ladder Truck.
Prior to the kickoff of the parade, Valley Credit Union and AVA Law Group, Downtown Holiday Event Sponsors, offer Pre-Parade Santa Photos from 4:30pm to 6:00pm inside of the Credit Union’s 2nd Ave. N. Branch (3100 2nd Ave. N.) located near Wise Wonders. This provides a chance for the community to snap their own photos with Santa at no cost near the start of the parade route.
For those unable to attend the parade in person, Community Seven Television broadcasts the parade live on their public network television channel over the air & online at comm7tv.com. Community Seven has partnered with Billings’ local CBS affiliate KTVQ to stream the parade live on the KTVQ mobile app as well. The parade will be moderated by Q2 News anchors. You can catch last years, 2024 Parade Broadcast here.
All parade entries turn North at Skypoint where Community Seven Television’s cameras are capturing the event and where various members of the ‘Downtown for the Holidays’ event sponsor are seated as parade judges. The judging categories include: Best Entry Overall, Best Float, Best Musical Entry, Best Costume, Best Interpretation of the Theme, Best Performers, and Most Original Entry. The 2024 Best Entry Overall award went to Engels & Völkers Billings Montana Realtors pictured to the left.
Our Downtown Billings team would like to remind the public that this is a free community event and public safety is our number one priority. Any and all handouts (candy or otherwise) must occur on the sidewalks behind the crowd and not from the parade route itself. Parade floats will not pass out candy from the parade route in compliance with the Downtown Billings Business Improvement District and City of Billings parade safety policy and ordinance.