Looking for the thanksgiving parade long beach 2026 has on the calendar? Here is the honest local answer: Long Beach does not hold a Thanksgiving Day parade. But the city more than makes up for it with one of Southern California’s most cherished holiday parade traditions — the Daisy Lane Parade, a community celebration that has been rolling down Daisy Avenue since 1953 — plus a full season of holiday parades, light displays, and waterfront festivities that stretch from Thanksgiving week through December. If you are in Long Beach for the holiday, the parade season is very much on.
This guide covers the complete picture: the history and route of the Daisy Lane Parade, how to watch it like a local, the other holiday parades and light events around Long Beach, where to catch the national Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade broadcast, and practical tips for making a holiday weekend of it. Parade organizers confirm each year’s dates and times in the fall, so treat the schedules below as recent-season patterns and verify against the official City of Long Beach listings before you go. For the wider holiday calendar, see our Thanksgiving events in Long Beach 2026 roundup.
Long Beach does the holidays with a distinctly California flavor: palm trees strung with lights, evening parades under mild skies, and a community spirit that turns whole neighborhoods into the show. The Daisy Lane Parade is not a tourist attraction airlifted in for the season — it is a Wrigley neighborhood tradition, stewarded by local organizations and the city, that happens to welcome everyone. Our Thanksgiving hub has hosting guides and planning tips for the whole season.
Is There a Thanksgiving Day Parade in Long Beach?
No — Long Beach does not stage a parade on Thanksgiving Day itself. The city’s parade tradition belongs to the December holiday season, anchored by the Daisy Lane Parade, which in recent years has stepped off on the second Saturday of December. The 2025 edition was the 71st annual, held on December 13 — a remarkable run for a neighborhood parade that began in 1953 as one woman’s campaign to decorate a grassy median.
That timing is actually good news for Thanksgiving visitors. If your Long Beach trip spans the holiday weekend and the days after, you are arriving just as the city’s holiday season ignites: the Daisy Lane decorations go up on the median, the parade entries assemble, and the whole Wrigley neighborhood starts to glow. And on Thanksgiving Day itself, Southern California does what it does best — the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade broadcast with the windows open and the ocean breeze coming in.
There is also a practical angle worth knowing. Long Beach sits in the middle of the Los Angeles metro’s enormous holiday calendar, which means day-trip parade options in every direction — from Pasadena’s famous New Year’s parade preparations to the harbor boat parades of the South Bay. Our Long Beach Thanksgiving events guide covers the local calendar, and our Thanksgiving events in Anaheim 2026 guide covers the Orange County side.
The Daisy Lane Parade: 70+ Years of Long Beach Tradition
The Daisy Lane Parade is the heart of Long Beach’s holiday season and one of the longest-running community parades in California. It began in 1953 as the brainchild of Gertrude Whittle, who persuaded the Long Beach City Council and the Council of Churches to help decorate the grass median on Daisy Avenue with a Christmas Village and nativity scene. What started as median decorations grew — residents began decorating their homes, the displays multiplied, and a parade joined the tradition. In 1988, Maria Norvell and the Wrigley Association led a revitalization effort, and Norvell — fondly known as the Mother of Christmas Tree Lane — remains central to the parade’s stewardship alongside the Wrigley Area Neighborhood Alliance, the City of Long Beach, and the Seventh District Council office.
The modern parade is a full community celebration. Recent editions have featured marching bands (including local high school bands and cheer squads), decorated floats, classic cars and motorcycles, color guards and drum lines, community organizations, and Santa himself. The 71st annual parade drew the usual joyful crowds to Daisy Avenue, with local coverage capturing the bubbles, the music, and the neighborhood pride that define the event.
What sets Daisy Lane apart from bigger-city parades is its intimacy. This is a neighborhood parade in the truest sense: the route runs through the Wrigley neighborhood, the spectators are largely locals who have watched from the same curb for years, and the whole thing feels like a block party that happens to have floats. Visitors are absolutely welcome — and the locals will tell you so — but you are a guest at someone’s cherished tradition, which makes it feel special in a way the mega-parades cannot replicate.
The Route: Daisy Avenue at Dusk
In recent years the parade has stepped off at 5 p.m. from Daisy Avenue at West Burnett Street, traveling south down the east side of Daisy Avenue to Pacific Coast Highway, looping around the median, and returning north up the west side of Daisy Avenue to conclude near West Hill Street and Maine Avenue around 7 p.m. Daisy Avenue between Willow Street and Pacific Coast Highway closes to vehicle traffic for the staging area and route.
The 5 p.m. start time is part of the magic: the parade begins in the last of the daylight and ends under full holiday lights, with the decorated median glowing on both sides of the route. The grassy median itself — the original 1953 Christmas Village site — stays decorated through the season, so even if you miss parade day, a drive down Daisy Avenue in December is worth the trip. The city typically pairs the parade with a night of holiday entertainment the following evening — recent editions have run 7 to 9 p.m. on the Daisy Lane median at Daisy Avenue and 20th Street.
Where to Watch the Daisy Lane Parade
The beauty of a neighborhood parade is that there is no bad seat — but a little strategy helps. The Daisy Avenue sidewalks along the whole route offer good viewing, and because this is a community event rather than a ticketed spectacle, you can simply show up and find curb space. That said, the regulars have their preferences:
Near West Burnett Street (the start): You see the entries at their freshest — bands at full energy, floats pristine. The staging-area buzz is half the fun, and the crowds are thinner here than mid-route.
The median stretches: The decorated median is the parade’s signature backdrop. Positions along the median-adjacent sidewalks put the lights and displays right in your sightline.
Near Pacific Coast Highway (the turnaround): Watching floats loop the median at PCH is its own entertainment, and the turnaround area tends to have breathing room.
Daisy Avenue and 20th Street: The entertainment-night stage location — worth knowing for the second evening of festivities.
Practical notes: the parade is free, parking is on neighborhood streets (arrive early and be respectful of driveways — this is a residential neighborhood), and December evenings in Long Beach are mild but can get chilly after sunset, so bring a light jacket. The Seventh District Council office publishes route maps and entry information each fall; check the City of Long Beach listings for the current year’s details. One more local tip: the Wrigley neighborhood’s restaurants and corner stores do a brisk parade-day business, so grabbing dinner nearby before the 5 p.m. step-off is both convenient and a nice way to support the neighborhood that hosts the parade.
More Holiday Parades and Lights Around Long Beach
Daisy Lane is the headliner, but Long Beach’s holiday season has supporting acts worth your time:
Holiday light displays: The Daisy Lane median stays decorated through December — the Christmas Tree Lane tradition that started it all in 1953. A slow evening drive down Daisy Avenue between Pacific Coast Highway and Willow Street, windows down, holiday music on, is a Long Beach rite of passage.
Waterfront holiday events: Long Beach’s harbor and waterfront get into the spirit each December with light displays and seasonal events around Shoreline Village, the Queen Mary area, and Alamitos Bay. Check the city’s event calendar each fall — the waterfront programming changes year to year.
Neighborhood parades across the metro: The greater Los Angeles area hosts numerous community holiday parades in December, from the San Pedro area to the South Bay beach cities. These are the Daisy Lane equivalents in other neighborhoods — small, free, and full of local character.
Pasadena’s parade season: About 30 miles north, Pasadena’s famous New Year’s parade is the region’s mega-parade — and its float barns and preparations are part of the December atmosphere across the San Gabriel Valley. It is a different trip, but it is the parade against which all Southern California parades are measured.
Thanksgiving Day Itself: The Macy’s Broadcast, California Style
On Thanksgiving morning, Long Beach joins the rest of America in front of the television for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade — the 99th annual edition aired in 2025, and the broadcast remains the country’s shared holiday-morning ritual. The California version has its own pleasures: mild weather, the option of watching from a patio, and a morning walk on the beach before or after the broadcast.
Local viewing-party options abound. Sports bars and hotel lobbies around downtown Long Beach and the waterfront typically show the parade, and many families make it the background of their cooking morning — the parade on the kitchen TV while the turkey goes in is a time-honored arrangement. If you want to go big, several tour operators run trips to New York for the Macy’s parade itself, departing from Southern California — a bucket-list splurge for the parade-obsessed.
In Pictures: Parade Season in Long Beach
Picture Daisy Avenue at dusk in December. The sun drops behind the palm trees, the streetlights flicker on, and the median begins to glow — thousands of lights tracing the grassy strip that started it all in 1953. The first marching band rounds the corner at Burnett Street, drums echoing off the houses, and the crowd presses to the curb: kids on shoulders, grandparents in lawn chairs, teenagers filming everything. Floats roll past in waves of color, headlights on, tinsel catching the light.
Now picture the water after dark. A procession of boats, every inch strung with lights, gliding across the calm harbor — reflections shattering and reforming on the water, the shoreline strung with its own lights, spectators gathered on the docks and beaches with hot drinks. Long Beach does parades on land and on water, and the boat parades are the city’s most California contribution to the tradition: no snow, no parkas, just lights on the Pacific.
Watch: The Daisy Lane Parade in Action
To feel the neighborhood spirit of Long Beach’s signature parade, watch this recap of the 2025 Daisy Lane Parade — the 71st annual — with its marching bands, floats, and holiday crowds on Daisy Avenue:
The recap captures what makes Daisy Lane special: it is not the scale, it is the warmth. Watch for the local school bands, the community floats, and the crowds lining a residential avenue — this is a parade that belongs to its neighborhood, and the video shows why seventy-plus years of families have made it their tradition.
Making a Holiday Weekend of It
The Daisy Lane Parade is an evening event, which makes it easy to build a full day around. Spend the parade-day afternoon on the waterfront — Shoreline Village, the Aquarium of the Pacific area, or a beach walk — then head to the Wrigley neighborhood for the 5 p.m. step-off. After the parade, the restaurants along Atlantic Avenue and in Bixby Knolls are the natural dinner move; the area around the parade route has terrific local spots that the regulars can point you to.
If you are visiting for Thanksgiving week itself, the days between the holiday and the parade are prime Long Beach time: the weather is usually gorgeous, the crowds are thin, and the city’s holiday decorations go up in stages. The Queen Mary, the waterfront, and the East Village arts district all reward a leisurely day. And for the full regional picture — Orange County’s holiday calendar included — see our Thanksgiving events in Anaheim 2026 guide alongside the Long Beach guide.
Thanksgiving Week in Long Beach: Beyond the Parades
The days between Thanksgiving and the Daisy Lane Parade deserve their own itinerary. Thanksgiving week in Long Beach is one of the year’s sweet spots: the summer crowds are gone, the weather is usually in the 60s and sunny, and the city’s holiday transformation happens in real time around you. Start with Thanksgiving Day itself — the Macy’s broadcast in the morning, a beach walk in the afternoon (the water is brisk but the sand is perfect), and dinner at one of the waterfront restaurants that stay open for the holiday.
Black Friday in Long Beach is refreshingly low-key compared to the rest of the metro. The Pike Outlets, the East Village shops, and the Second Street boutiques in Belmont Shore all run holiday promotions without the doorbuster chaos, and Small Business Saturday is a genuine event in the city’s neighborhood commercial districts. The weekend after Thanksgiving is also when the city’s holiday decorations hit full stride — the median on Daisy Avenue lights up, the waterfront gets its seasonal dressing, and the whole city starts to look like the parade is coming. Which, of course, it is.
For families, the Aquarium of the Pacific is the classic Thanksgiving-week outing — less crowded than summer, fully decorated for the season, and an easy half-day. Pair it with the Queen Mary area’s seasonal programming and you have two anchor attractions that bookend the holiday weekend nicely. The through-line: Long Beach rewards visitors who treat Thanksgiving week as the prelude, not the main event, and let the city’s December parade season be the payoff.
Thanksgiving Parade Long Beach 2026 at a Glance
Quick reference for the events above. Organizers confirm each year’s dates and times in the fall — verify against the official City of Long Beach listings before you go.
| Event | When (typical) | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daisy Lane Parade | Second Saturday of December, ~5:00–7:00 p.m. (Dec. 13 in 2025) | Daisy Ave. at W. Burnett St. to PCH and back, Wrigley neighborhood | Free |
| Daisy Lane holiday entertainment night | Evening after the parade, ~7:00–9:00 p.m. | Daisy Lane median at Daisy Ave. and 20th St. | Free |
| Daisy Lane median light displays | Throughout December | Daisy Ave. between PCH and Willow St. | Free |
| Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (broadcast) | Thanksgiving morning | TV / streaming | Free |
| Waterfront holiday events | December (varies) | Shoreline Village, Alamitos Bay, Queen Mary area | Varies |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a Thanksgiving Day parade in Long Beach, California?
No — Long Beach does not hold a parade on Thanksgiving Day. The city’s signature parade is the Daisy Lane Parade, held in December (the 71st annual was December 13, 2025). On Thanksgiving Day itself, locals watch the national Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade broadcast.
When is the Daisy Lane Parade in 2026?
The parade has traditionally been held on the second Saturday of December — December 13 in 2025. The City of Long Beach and the Seventh District Council office confirm the exact 2026 date, step-off time, and entertainment-night schedule each fall, so check the official listings before making plans.
What is the Daisy Lane Parade route?
In recent years the parade has started at 5 p.m. on Daisy Avenue at West Burnett Street, traveled south down the east side of Daisy Avenue to Pacific Coast Highway, looped around the median, and returned north up the west side to conclude near West Hill Street and Maine Avenue around 7 p.m.
Is the Daisy Lane Parade free?
Yes — watching from anywhere along the public route is completely free. Park on neighborhood streets (arrive early, respect driveways), bring a light jacket for the evening, and enjoy one of California’s great community traditions at no cost.
How long has the Daisy Lane Parade been running?
Since 1953 — the 2025 edition was the 71st annual. It began with Gertrude Whittle’s campaign to decorate the Daisy Avenue median with a Christmas Village and nativity scene, and was revitalized in 1988 by Maria Norvell and the Wrigley Association.
What else is there to do in Long Beach on Thanksgiving weekend?
The waterfront, the Queen Mary area, holiday shopping in the East Village and Bixby Knolls, and the full seasonal calendar in our Thanksgiving events in Long Beach 2026 guide. For Orange County options, see Thanksgiving events in Anaheim 2026.
Can I participate in the Daisy Lane Parade?
Yes — the parade welcomes entries from local businesses, nonprofit organizations, and community groups. In recent years, entry applications were due in early December through the Seventh District Council office. If your group wants to march or float in the next edition, check the City of Long Beach’s Daisy Lane Parade page in the fall for the current year’s application details and deadline.
The Bottom Line
The thanksgiving parade long beach 2026 visitors are looking for is not a Thanksgiving-morning event — it is a December tradition with seventy years of roots. The Daisy Lane Parade is the real thing: a neighborhood parade that has been rolling down Daisy Avenue since 1953, free to watch, glowing at dusk, and steeped in the kind of community spirit that cannot be manufactured. If your holiday trip extends into December, it is unmissable.
And if you are in town for Thanksgiving week itself, the play is simple: Macy’s parade on the TV Thanksgiving morning, the beach in the afternoon, and the city’s holiday season unfolding around you in the days after. Confirm this year’s parade details on the official City of Long Beach listings, show up on Daisy Avenue with time to spare, and experience the parade that made a grassy median famous.
