The Capital City Christmas Parade rolls down Dexter Avenue at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11, live on WSFA. Entries close Dec. 4. Zoo lights run nightly Dec. 1-27.

Last checked Oct. 25, 2026. This page is updated each year. The 2026 parade details come from the city’s parade listing and its 2026 parade rules (PDF). The tree-lighting details are from 2025, because the 2026 ceremonies had not been announced: the Montgomery County Commission’s tree lighting release and the governor’s office’s Capitol tree release. The zoo’s 2026 dates come from the city calendar.

The 2026 Capital City Christmas Parade is Friday, Dec. 11, at 6 p.m. on Dexter Avenue downtown, starting by Lower Dexter Park, 29 Dexter Ave., with live coverage on WSFA. It is free to watch, and Santa and Mrs. Claus close the parade on a fire truck. Also set: the Montgomery Zoo’s Christmas Lights Festival, nightly Dec. 1-27, 5 to 9 p.m. Call 311 at 334-625-4636 with city event questions.

Updated Oct. 25: the city posted the 2026 parade date, time, entry deadline and fees.

Who to call

  • City events (311): 334-625-4636
  • Montgomery County public affairs (county tree lighting): 334-832-1270
  • Montgomery Zoo: the city’s zoo page
  • Emergency: 911

The Capital City Christmas Parade

2026
Date Friday, Dec. 11
Time 6 p.m. step-off; the city lists 6 to 8 p.m.
Route Dexter Avenue, downtown, ending at the fountain
Start Lower Dexter Park, 29 Dexter Ave.
On TV Live on WSFA
Cost to watch Free

Is it on this year? Yes. The city’s calendar lists the parade for Friday, Dec. 11, and its rules set the lineup for 5 p.m. that day. The rules also say the parade may be canceled for bad weather or another unexpected event; we will post any change here.

Street closures and parking. The city had not published 2026 street closures or spectator parking when we checked. Dexter Avenue is the route, so expect it and the streets that cross it to close before 6 p.m. City meters downtown are free after 5 p.m. on weekdays, as our getting around Montgomery page explains, and our road construction and closures page carries closures as they are announced.

Marching in the parade

Groups enter through the city’s Eventbrite registration, which opened Oct. 19. The city’s rules set out:

  • Deadline: 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4. No late or day-of entries.
  • Fee: free for schools and nonprofit organizations; $25 for businesses. The Montgomery Police Department runs background checks on entries and refunds the fee if it denies one.
  • Lineup: units get their spot by email the week of the parade and must be in place by 5 p.m. Dec. 11.
  • Units: every unit must be lit, with its own generator, and decorated with a Christmas theme. Floats may be no taller than 12 feet. Walking groups are capped at 50 people, car clubs at five vehicles.
  • No Santas: no unit may include Santa or Mrs. Claus, because the parade ends with them; inflatable Santas are allowed.
  • Music: Christmas or holiday music only.
  • Float contest: floats entering the competition must be at the Multiplex by 4 p.m. Dec. 11. WSFA announces the winners in five categories during the broadcast.

Tree lightings

Montgomery County. The County Commission held its second annual Christmas Tree Lighting at 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 1, 2025, in front of the Phelps-Price Justice Center at the Montgomery County Courthouse, 251 S. Lawrence St., with holiday music, free hot cocoa and cookies. It was free and open to the public. The 2026 date has not been announced.

State Capitol. The official state Christmas tree goes up on the front steps of the Alabama State Capitol. In 2025 it was a 38-foot Eastern Red Cedar from the Allen family in Bullock County, and the governor lit it at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, after pre-program music by the 151st Army National Guard Band from about 5 p.m. The Governor’s Mansion also offered free, self-guided Holiday Candlelight Tours on Dec. 15, 18 and 22, 2025, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The 2026 dates have not been announced.

Christmas Lights Festival at the Montgomery Zoo

  • When: nightly Dec. 1-27, 2026, 5 to 9 p.m.; last entry and tickets at 9 p.m.; everyone out by 9:30 p.m. The zoo is closed during the day on Christmas and opens at 5 p.m. for the festival.
  • Where: Montgomery Zoo and Mann Wildlife Learning Museum, 2301 Coliseum Parkway.
  • Cost: regular night admission is $15 for ages 3 and older.
  • What: lighted paths, a visit with Santa, a Christmas Tree Village of nearly 30 trees decorated by local groups at the Mann Museum, and new zones called Frosty Frontier and Safari to Santa.

Also in December

  • Montgomery Symphony Orchestra’s Joyce Caddell Holiday Pops, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 18, at Troy University’s Davis Theatre for the Performing Arts, 251 Montgomery St., with the Montgomery Chorale (city listing).
  • Shows, Santa visits and markets are on our holiday lights and Christmas events page.

What this means for you

  • Hold Friday evening, Dec. 11: the parade steps off at 6 p.m. on Dexter Avenue.
  • Marching? Register by 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4; schools and nonprofits enter free.
  • The zoo lights run nightly from Tuesday, Dec. 1, to Sunday, Dec. 27.

More guides: things to do this month, getting around Montgomery and parks and trails.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Montgomery Christmas parade in 2026?

The Capital City Christmas Parade kicks off at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11, 2026, on Dexter Avenue downtown, according to the City of Montgomery. WSFA carries it live.

Where does the Montgomery Christmas parade go?

Down Dexter Avenue. The city lists the event at Lower Dexter Park, 29 Dexter Ave., and its rules say the route ends at the fountain at the end of Dexter Avenue, where parents collect children who marched.

How do I enter the Montgomery Christmas parade?

Register through the city’s Eventbrite page by 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4. Entry is free for schools and nonprofits and $25 for businesses. Every unit must be lit and Christmas-themed, walking groups are capped at 50 people, and no late entries are taken.

When is the Montgomery Zoo Christmas Lights Festival in 2026?

Nightly Dec. 1-27, 2026, from 5 to 9 p.m., with last tickets sold at 9 p.m. and the park cleared by 9:30 p.m. Regular night admission is $15 for ages 3 and older.

When is the Alabama Capitol Christmas tree lighting?

The governor’s office announces it each December. In 2025 the ceremony was at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, at the Capitol, with the 151st Army National Guard Band playing from about 5 p.m.