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Fort Worth Parade of Lights 2025: Street closures, parking, and tips

November 18,2025

See full CultureMap Fort Worth article by Stephanie Allmon Merry here.

The 2025 GM Financial Parade of Lights will usher the holiday season into Fort Worth on Sunday, November 23. Themed “Sparkle, Dazzle, Shine!,” the parade of more than 100 illuminated floats, festive marching bands, horse-drawn carriages, and Santa and Mrs. Claus will kick off at 6 pm.

Don't let the Grinch steal your holiday spirit with stalled traffic and limited parking. Here's what to know about street closures, transportation and parking options, the parade route, downtown activities, TV coverage, and more.

Street closures: They start early! Highway ramps and several streets will be closed starting at 6 am, including Taylor, Lamar, Burnett, and Cherry Streets, and portions of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, Weatherford, and Florence Streets. Primary streets along the parade route will close at 3:30 pm. Streets remaining open to traffic include Belknap, Lancaster, and North Main Streets. Find a full list of street closures and times here.

Public transportation: For a hassle-free experience, this is the way to go. Trinity Metro’s TEXRail will operate its regular Sunday schedule to and from Fort Worth Central Station, just a few blocks from the parade. Also good to know:

  • Park-and-ride lots are available at both the North Side Station (2829 Decatur Ave.) and the Fort Worth T&P Station (221 W. Lancaster Ave.).
  • Park free at most TEXRail stations and ride downtown and avoid parking headaches.
  • The North Side Station also features an overflow lot at 3001 Decatur Ave.
  • Frequency on Sunday will be increased to a train every 30 minutes help move riders out of downtown more quickly.
  • The Trinity Railway Express (“TRE”) will not operate at all on Sunday.
  • Trinity Metro bus service will not be an optimal alternative due to traffic congestion leading up to the start time of the Parade.
  • Many bus routes stop running early on Sunday with the exception of routes 1, 2, 46 and 89. These routes will operate on 15-minute frequency and run until around 11 pm on Sunday.

For a full list of public transportation options, check this site.

Parking: If you must drive, plan where you'll watch the parade and enter downtown from the same direction as your planned viewing area; do not try to drive all the way across downtown. There are parking areas in each of the quadrants of the parade zone. Free garages include City Center Garage #2 (400 Jones St.) and 777 Main Parking Garage (601 Commerce S.) Metered parking downtown is free on weekends, but do not park at bagged meters. For a full list of parking options, go here.

Why get there early: Parade-goers are encouraged to arrive early to enjoy afternoon festivities. From 2-5 pm, the Sid Richardson Museum will host a free Pre-Parade Family Day, featuring friends from KERA including special guest Xavier Riddle from PBS. Early arrivals can also take in holiday décor, music, and head to Sundance Square Plaza to view the tallest live Christmas tree in Texas – an 86-foot-tall Norway Spruce from northern Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. Just fyi ...

Will the tree bit lit? No. While the Parade of Lights used to culminate in the exciting lighting of the downtown Christmas tree, that tradition ceased several years ago. The Fort Worth Community Christmas Tree in Sundance Square will be illuminated in a special ceremony two weeks later, on Sunday, December 2. The free, family-friendly festivities will include a holiday concert at 6:30 pm. For more information about the tree lighting and other Christmas lights around town, click on this story.

Parade route: The 1.59-mile parade route starts at the intersection of Weatherford and Throckmorton Streets. The parade will proceed east along Weatherford Street, and turn south on Commerce Street all the way to 9th Street. At 9th Street, the parade will proceed west to Houston Street, and then turn north on Houston Street all the way to 2nd Street. At 2nd Street, the parade will proceed west to Throckmorton Street, then turn south and conclude at 3rd and Throckmorton Streets. Check out the complete parade route and map (and plan your viewing spot) here.

Grand marshal: The 2025 parade’s grand marshal is Chris Cassidy, a retired U.S. Navy SEAL, former NASA astronaut, and president and CEO of the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation, the newly opened museum in Arlington.

Viewing areas, free and paid: While the parade is free to attend, reserved "Street Seats" are available for purchase for prime viewing. As of publication time, tickets are still available, and start at $15.75 for children and $19.50 for adults. To purchase tickets, head here.

TV coverage: For those watching from home, the parade will be broadcast live on KTXA-TV / TXA-21 and streamed online at CBSDFW.com and the Parade of Lights’ Facebook page. An encore broadcast will air on KTXA-TV / TXA 21 on Christmas Eve, December 24.

Social media: The official hashtag for the 2025 GM Financial Parade of Lights is #ParadeOfLights2025. Tag posts and follow along for parade updates at:

More information can be found on the parade's official website.