snowman float at holidazzle parade, minneapolis
One of our preschool moms, Edie, has generously given us some GREAT advice for watching the Holidazzle Parade in downtown Minneapolis. It’s a little short notice for this year… it only last another week or s0, but the tips are good for next year, too.
The Holidazzle Parade is every Thursday-Sunday evening, from Thanksgiving to just before Christmas, at 6:30 p.m.
-I suggest going early, head for downtown around 4-4:30 p.m. Find a parking ramp with a green ‘Do The Town’ sign and park for just $4 for the entire night by entering after 4pm. If you spend $20 or more at a variety of stores or restaurants, they will validate your parking ticket for free parking. Check online for a list of participating locations.
-Go to Macys 8th floor Holiday display before, rather than after the parade to avoid some of the crowds. (remember it’s free!) Catch dinner at a number of family friendly places near Nicollet or Hennepin before the parade or pack a ‘picnic’. Lots of open spaces in the first floor of the IDS building on Nicollet.
-Head to save a spot along Nicollet by 6pm, earlier if you want a warm skyway spot. Take a blanket with you if watching outside, to either sit on or cover up with.
-Just before the parade starts, volunteers will walk the route with shopping carts to collect donations for local food shelves. There will also be vendors selling glow and light up souvenirs. I wasn’t going to splurge for the $5 light-up wands, but 2 years later they still work and my kids are still playing with them. We reuse them each year!
-If you want to see the very beginning of the parade, go down to 12th Avenue & Nicollet. They’ll have the parade floats sitting there before parade time. You can see the ‘actors’ get their lights turned on and load the floats. It’s not for everyone, but I thought it was neat.
-I suggest Sunday or Thursday nights for the smallest crowds. Tickets can be purchased in advance for warm seats in heated tents along the parade route. These go fast and you need to plan well in advance. If you don’t mind the Minnesota cold just go for free!
Hope these help. Have a great time!
Thanks again, Edie!!!
And here’s a video from YouTube to show you what all the fuss is about!!
I saw this post too late! We went downtown last Friday afternoon to see the Macy’s display, but didn’t know how to keep the kids occupied until the parade (plus it was cold!)
We were surprised to see families sitting in the skywalks at 4:45 p.m. There’s no way we could have kept our kids sitting there that long.
Thanks for the tips.
This sounds very exciting. I’ve marked it on my favorites and think I will make a trip to see this with my kids next year. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome! And thanks again to Edie! We’re already planning to make this an annual holiday tradition in our family.