2026 Waxahachie Christmas Parade Application

1. Floats must be lit (for nighttime viewing, “OVER LIT IS BETTER”). Entries will be limited and a WOW FACTOR IS EXPECTED. If your entry is not decorated for Christmas, you will not be allowed to participate. Floats must remain lit throughout the entire parade.
2. SANTA CLAUS will be provided by the City – No other live Santas will be allowed. Violators will be asked to withdraw from the parade before it begins and not allowed back in future years.
3. People riding in the parade must remain in the vehicles/foats at all times once the parade has started.
4. Walking members must be 12 years of age or older to walk in the parade. Younger members will be required to ride in a vehicle or float. Walkers must be able to keep up with the floats or risk being left behind. Please keep up with the entry in front of you — NO GAPS. Nobody will be allowed to stop and perform during the parade.
5. NO EQUINE ENTRIES ALLOWED (effective beginning in 2024 per Emergency Management).
   
6. NO SEMI-TRUCKS OR 18-WHEELERS ALLOWED.
7. NOTHING can be thrown from any float. If caught, you will be removed from the parade and will not be allowed to participate in future parades.
8. All decorations & participants are to arrive with the entry. If you have multiple vehicles in your entry, everyone MUST arrive together at the same time (or you will not be able to line up together). Participants will NOT be allowed to drive their vehicles into the park unless they are the actual entry. All participants of your entry to meet outside the park area and come into the park with you.

Height Rules

• Maximum Height: 12–14 feet (measured from the street level to the highest point of the float or props).
• Reason: Overhead power lines, telephone cables, and low streetlights.
• Exception: Collapsible props that can be lowered when passing under wires.

Width Rules

• Maximum Width: 8–12 feet.
• Reason: Narrow city streets, sharp turns, and pedestrian crowds on the sides.
• Note: Standard flatbed trailers are usually 7–8 feet wide, leaving a few feet for side decorations.

General Size & Safety Guidelines

• Length: Limited to 40–45 feet total (including the towing truck or tractor).
• Ground Clearance: Must maintain at least 12 inches of clearance from the frame, with no loose parts dragging on the ground.
• Maneuverability: Must safely navigate all tight corners on the specific parade route without getting stuck or delayed.

The float operator must have a clear, unobstructed view of the roadway and surrounding areas from the operator’s seat. Vehicles/equipment that prevents the operator from seeing the roadway surface, pedestrians, children, barricades, or other obstacles are prohibited.

The designated safety official shall have the final authority to determine whether a vehicle is suitable for the parade route.

• Floats must be lined up by 5:30 p.m. to be judged. Line-up will be first come first in line. JEEPS will be staged on Commodore Street; please enter by Jerry’s Tires.
• The parade begins at 6:30 p.m. at Getzendaner Park (you will be lined up around the perimeter of the park). The parade will proceed North on Grand Ave., right (East) on Main St. (U.S. Hwy. 287 Bus.), right on Rogers St., and end at the Historic MKT Train Depot. You will not be allowed to stop on Rogers St. to let participants off your float.
• Nobody will be allowed to drop off on Rogers St. A map will be emailed to you closer to the parade with different exit strategies and alternate routes.