Holiday 2026

Christmas Parades in Marion County, 2026

Dates, start times and routes for the 2026 holiday parades and lightings in Ocala, Dunnellon, Belleview and McIntosh, checked against each organiser's own page.

Close-up of warm white and red Christmas lights strung through evergreen garland with a red ribbon bow at dusk — AI-generated illustration of holiday lights; it does not depict a specific parade or location.

Marion County's 2026 holiday parade season runs from Light Up Ocala on Saturday, Nov. 21 through the Ocala Christmas Parade on Saturday, Dec. 12. Dunnellon's parade is Saturday, Dec. 5 at 6 p.m., Belleview's is Sunday, Dec. 6 at 2 p.m., and the Ocala parade steps off Saturday, Dec. 12 at 5:30 p.m. from SE 25th Avenue and Fort King Street.

Every date below comes from the page of the city, town, chamber or volunteer group that runs the event, opened on October 27, 2026. Where an organiser has not published a detail, such as a route or a cost, this guide says so instead of guessing. Details can change, so check the organiser's page before heading out. Our editorial guidelines explain how events are verified. AI tools helped gather the sources and draft this page; each fact was checked against those sources before publishing.

Updated Today

2026 Marion County parade dates at a glance

Event	Date	Time	Where
Light Up Ocala and Junior Sunshine Parade	Sat., Nov. 21	3 to 8 p.m.; lighting 6 p.m.	Downtown Ocala
Dunnellon Small Town Christmas Parade	Sat., Dec. 5	6 p.m.	Historic Downtown Dunnellon
Belleview Christmas Parade	Sun., Dec. 6	2 p.m.	Belleview
Ocala Christmas Parade	Sat., Dec. 12	5:30 p.m.	SE 25th Ave. and Fort King St. to NE 3rd St.
McIntosh Winter Light Parade and Display	Sat., Dec. 12 (Dec. 19 alternate)	6 to 9 p.m.	McIntosh

Parade-by-parade details

Light Up Ocala and the Junior Sunshine Parade (Nov. 21)

Saturday, November 21, 2026, 3 to 8 p.m. in downtown Ocala; the lighting ceremony begins at 6 p.m.
Organiser: City of Ocala Recreation & Parks. The city says the Junior Sunshine Parade features school bands, dance studios and Scouts, winds through downtown and leads up to the lighting, with a special appearance by Santa.
The city page says "Downtown Ocala" and names the Citizens' Circle stage; it has not yet published the 2026 parade route.
Cost: the city says sponsorships keep the celebration free for the public.

Source: the City of Ocala's Light Up Ocala page. Full guide: Light Up Ocala 2026.

Dunnellon Small Town Christmas Parade (Dec. 5)

Saturday, December 5, 2026. The parade begins at 6 p.m.; the chamber lists the evening from 6 to 9:30 p.m.
Historic Downtown Dunnellon. The chamber's page gives no start address or route; its office is at 20500 E. Pennsylvania Ave., Dunnellon, FL 34432.
Organiser: Dunnellon Chamber & Business Association, (352) 489-2320. The 2026 theme is "A Patriotic Christmas," marking the nation's 250th anniversary.
Cost: entry fees apply to parade participants and are paid online; no spectator charge is listed.

Source: the Dunnellon Chamber's parade event page.

Belleview Christmas Parade (Dec. 6)

Sunday, December 6, 2026, at 2 p.m.
The organisers' 2026 entry form says the route is reversed this year and gives no route map or start address. Student drop-off begins at noon at the Lake Lillian Community Center. Floats must be in position and decorated by 11 a.m., and float riders must be in the lineup area by 12:30 p.m.
Organiser: Friends of The Christmas Parade LLC, Belleviewparade@gmail.com. The theme had not been announced on the form.
Cost: participant fees are $75 for standard entries, $50 for motorised units of up to 12 vehicles, and free for schools and 501(c)(3) nonprofits; the application deadline is October 30, 2026. The form does not state a spectator cost.

Source: the organisers' 2026 parade entry form; the City of Belleview events page names the organiser. Full guide: Belleview Christmas Parade. The City of Belleview also hosts Light Up Lake Lillian the day before, Saturday, December 5, 2 to 7 p.m., per its events page.

Ocala Christmas Parade (Dec. 12)

Saturday, December 12, 2026, at 5:30 p.m.
Starts at the intersection of SE 25th Avenue and Fort King Street, heads north to E. Silver Springs Boulevard, travels west for 1.6 miles, turns north on NE 8th Avenue and ends at NE 3rd Street, near Tuscawilla Park.
Organiser: Friends of the Christmas Parade, Inc., an all-volunteer organisation. The 2026 theme is "A Red, White, and Blue Christmas," honouring America's 250th birthday.
Cost: the organiser's page lists no spectator cost. Road-closure details are posted on the City of Ocala's Facebook page, which the organiser links.

Source: the Ocala Christmas Parade website. Its page also shows an unexplained second line reading "OCALA Parade: Sunday, December 6th @ 2 PM"; this guide uses Saturday, Dec. 12 at 5:30 p.m., the date given with the route and theme, and the Dec. 6 line should be confirmed with the organiser. History and viewing tips: Ocala Christmas Parade guide.

McIntosh Winter Light Parade and Display (Dec. 12)

Saturday, December 12, 2026, 6 to 9 p.m. A second entry on Saturday, December 19, 2026, is noted as the bad-weather alternate.
Town of McIntosh. The listing gives no route or street address for the parade; Town Hall is at 20400 10th Street, McIntosh, FL 32664.
The listing attributes the event to the town's Parks & Recreation and says it coincides with the Lions Club Santa visit. Town Hall: (352) 591-1047.
Cost: not listed.

Source: the Town of McIntosh's December 2026 events calendar. The calendar titles the entries "Community Center Booked"; confirm details with Town Hall.

Not yet announced

For Reddick, Citra, Marion Oaks and Silver Springs Shores, this guide has not confirmed a 2026 parade or tree lighting date on an organiser page as of October 27. This guide lists those as date not yet announced and will be updated when organisers publish them.

Parade-day tips

For Light Up Ocala, the City of Ocala's page describes free shuttle service from lots including Marion Technical Institute (1614 SE Fort King St.), the E.D. Croskey Recreation Center (1510 NW Fourth St.), the Ocala Skate Park (517 NE Ninth St.) and the Discovery Center (701 NE Sanchez Ave.). The page marks 2026 shuttle information as "stay tuned," so the lots listed may be from a prior year; confirm the 2026 lots and hours with the city.
For the Ocala Christmas Parade, the organiser says road-closure information is posted on the City of Ocala's Facebook page. No parking plan is published on the parade site.
The Dunnellon, Belleview and McIntosh pages checked for this guide did not publish parking or road-closure information.
Parade dates fall close together: Dunnellon (Dec. 5, 6 p.m.) and Belleview (Dec. 6, 2 p.m.) are different weekend days, while Ocala and McIntosh both fall on Dec. 12 in the evening.

More holiday planning: Christmas events in Ocala, Christmas lights in Ocala, WEC Winter Wonderland, holiday road races, Light Up Lake Lillian and the full events calendar.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Ocala Christmas parade in 2026?

The Ocala Christmas Parade steps off Saturday, December 12, 2026, at 5:30 p.m., according to the organiser, Friends of the Christmas Parade, Inc. It starts at SE 25th Avenue and Fort King Street, heads north to E. Silver Springs Boulevard, travels west 1.6 miles, then turns north on NE 8th Avenue and ends at NE 3rd Street near Tuscawilla Park. The 2026 theme is "A Red, White, and Blue Christmas."

Where is the Dunnellon Christmas parade?

The Dunnellon Small Town Christmas Parade is in Historic Downtown Dunnellon on Saturday, December 5, 2026, beginning at 6 p.m., according to the Dunnellon Chamber & Business Association. The chamber's event page does not publish a street-by-street route. The chamber office is at 20500 E. Pennsylvania Ave., Dunnellon, and can be reached at (352) 489-2320.

Are Marion County Christmas parades free?

The City of Ocala lists Light Up Ocala, including the Junior Sunshine Parade, as a free event. The Belleview and Dunnellon organiser pages list entry fees for participants (floats, vehicles and groups), and none of the Ocala, Belleview, Dunnellon or McIntosh pages checked states a spectator cost, so free viewing is not confirmed. Confirm with the organiser before travelling.

When is the Belleview Christmas parade in 2026?

The Belleview Christmas Parade is Sunday, December 6, 2026, at 2 p.m., according to the organisers' 2026 entry form. The form says the route is reversed this year and does not publish a route map. See the Belleview Christmas Parade guide for details.

Is there a Christmas parade in McIntosh?

The Town of McIntosh calendar lists a Parks & Recreation "Winter Light Parade & Display" on Saturday, December 12, 2026, from 6 to 9 p.m., timed to coincide with the Lions Club Santa visit, with a second listing on Saturday, December 19, 2026, noted as the bad-weather alternate. The listing does not give a route. Town Hall is at 20400 10th Street and can be reached at (352) 591-1047.

Is there a Christmas parade in Reddick, Citra or Marion Oaks?

As of October 27, 2026, this guide has not confirmed a 2026 Christmas parade for Reddick, Citra or Marion Oaks on an organiser page. This guide will be updated if an organiser announces one.

What is the Junior Sunshine Parade?

The Junior Sunshine Parade is the youth holiday parade at Light Up Ocala. The City of Ocala says it features school bands, dance studios, Scouts and other groups, winds through downtown and leads up to the 6 p.m. lighting ceremony on Saturday, November 21, 2026.

En Español

Desfiles navideños en el Condado de Marion 2026

El Condado de Marion, Florida, celebra varios desfiles navideños en 2026. Light Up Ocala, con el Desfile Junior Sunshine, es el sábado 21 de noviembre, de 3 a 8 p.m., en el centro de Ocala, y la ciudad de Ocala indica que es gratis. El desfile de Dunnellon es el sábado 5 de diciembre a las 6 p.m. en el centro histórico, y el de Belleview es el domingo 6 de diciembre a las 2 p.m. El Desfile Navideño de Ocala sale el sábado 12 de diciembre a las 5:30 p.m. desde SE 25th Avenue y Fort King Street y termina en NE 3rd Street, cerca de Tuscawilla Park. McIntosh anuncia un desfile de luces de invierno el 12 de diciembre, de 6 a 9 p.m. Confirme los detalles con cada organizador antes de asistir.