Chula Vista's Starlight Parade Turns 62 — Third Avenue Closes and the Tree Goes Up at 5:30

Overview

The Chula Vista Starlight Parade is on Saturday, December 5 — its 62nd year — with a holiday festival from 3 p.m., the tree lighting at 5:30, and the parade down Third Avenue at 6.

It's free and open to all ages, and it is the biggest December event in the South Bay by a long way.

A sourcing note, up front and honestly. The December 5 date comes from regional event listings, including KPBS and the San Diego Tourism Authority, both of which point to the parade's own website as the official source. The City of Chula Vista and the downtown business association have not yet posted their 2026 pages — their sites still carry 2024 and 2025 editions. The date is consistent with the event's pattern and the weekday checks out, but we'd confirm before building a day around it, and the logistics below are from last year pending the city's 2026 notice.

Sixty-two consecutive years is the thing worth pausing on. That takes the parade back to the early 1960s, which makes it older than most of the buildings on the street it runs down.

The Evening

Based on the city's schedule for recent years:

• 3:00 p.m. — the Holiday Market and Festival opens
• 3:00–6:00 p.m. — photos and letters with Santa
• 3:00–7:00 p.m. — the festival runs
• 5:30 p.m. — the tree lighting (the city published 5:45 in prior years — see the note below)
• 6:00 p.m. — the parade

The festival sits at Memorial Park, and the parade comes down Third Avenue.

So the practical plan is: arrive around three or four for the market and Santa, be in position on Third Avenue by half five for the tree, and stay put for the parade at six.

The Route

Down Third Avenue, between E Street and H Street.

The city's own description in recent years is that the parade "begins at H street and ends at E street" — so it runs north, and the best viewing is anywhere along those five blocks.

Parking — the City Opens Its Lots

This is the genuinely useful part, and it's why Chula Vista does this better than most.

The city makes its own lots free for the day. In recent years that has included:

• Chula Vista Public Library — 365 F Street
• City Hall — 276 Fourth Avenue
• The Recreation Center — 385 Park Way
• Plus the City-owned lots around downtown Third Avenue

Watch for no-parking signs, which go up for the closures.

On street closures, the pattern in recent years has been Park Way westbound closing from Friday morning, Park Way eastbound and the remaining roads from about 1:30 p.m. on the Saturday, with everything reopening in the early hours of Sunday. The city's notice has said that "local access will be given to those with a valid ID."

If you live inside the closure, bring your ID.

Being In It

You can enter the parade, and there's one form for everything.

The city's registration form covers joining the parade, taking a stall in the holiday market, volunteering, or sponsoring — all in one place.

No entry fee and no deadline are published, which suggests it's relatively open, but they'll both be on the 2026 form when it goes up.

How to Go

• When: Saturday, December 5, 2026. Festival from 3 p.m., tree lighting 5:30, parade 6 p.m.
• Where: Third Avenue, Chula Vista, between E Street and H Street. Festival at Memorial Park
• Admission: free and open to all ages
• Parking: free at city lots including the Public Library, City Hall and the Recreation Center
• Organised by the City of Chula Vista
• Confirm before you travel — the city's 2026 page wasn't up when we wrote this

Good to Know

• Confirm the date. It's well sourced but the city hasn't posted its own 2026 notice yet.
• Park at the Library or City Hall. The city opens its lots free and they're a short walk.
• Get there by half five for the tree if that's what you came for.
• Three to seven is the festival. The parade is the last hour.
• Santa's there from 3 to 6, so do that before the tree rather than after.
• Bring ID if you live inside the closure. Local access has required it.
• It's the 62nd year, which makes it one of the oldest continuously running events in the county.
• December 5 is a very busy Saturday — see below.

Why It's Worth It

The South Bay doesn't get written about enough, and this is the clearest example of why that's a mistake.

Sixty-two years of the same city closing the same street in the same week of December is not a promotion — it's a tradition, and it's older than almost anything comparable in San Diego County. Free, all ages, a market, Santa, a tree and a parade, with the city opening its own car parks so you can actually get there.

That's a well-run civic event, and Third Avenue is the right street for it.

One scheduling note: December 5 is the most crowded Saturday of the season. The Ocean Beach Holiday Parade is the same evening on Newport Avenue, and the Fallbrook Christmas Parade is the same evening on Main Avenue. Three parades, one night, three ends of the county — pick by geography. And North Pole by the Sea in Del Mar is the following afternoon, if you want a two-day weekend of it.

For more things worth doing, browse our events calendar.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Chula Vista Starlight Parade? Saturday, December 5, 2026, with the festival from 3 p.m., the tree lighting at 5:30 and the parade at 6. Note that the city hadn't posted its official 2026 notice at the time of writing — confirm before travelling.

Where is it? Down Third Avenue in Chula Vista, between E Street and H Street, with the festival at Memorial Park.

How much does it cost? It's free and open to all ages.

Where do I park? The city makes its own lots free, including the Chula Vista Public Library at 365 F Street, City Hall at 276 Fourth Avenue and the Recreation Center at 385 Park Way, plus lots around downtown Third Avenue.

What time is the tree lighting? 5:30 p.m. according to current listings — the city published 5:45 p.m. in previous years, so allow for either.

Will Santa be there? Photos and letters with Santa have run from 3 to 6 p.m. in recent years.

Can I be in the parade? Yes. The city uses a single online form covering parade entries, holiday market stalls, volunteering and sponsorship. No entry fee or deadline is published.

Which streets close? In recent years Park Way westbound has closed from Friday morning and the remaining roads from about 1:30 p.m. Saturday, reopening early Sunday. Residents inside the closure have needed valid ID for local access.

How old is the parade? This is the 62nd annual.