Boca Raton’s centennial year is heading into the home stretch with a familiar holiday tradition getting a special twist. The City will “hop aboard” The Centennial Express: 100 Years of Holiday Cheer as the 53rd Annual Holiday Street Parade takes over Federal Highway on Wednesday, December 3, from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., according to a city announcement.
City officials say the parade is one of the final signature events of Boca Raton’s 100th anniversary celebration, bringing “nostalgia, sparkle, and show-stopping performances” to Downtown Boca as part of the Boca Jolly Days lineup. More than 70 floats, marching bands, dance troupes, civic groups, schools, and community organizations are expected to fill Federal Highway with holiday décor, music, and Centennial-themed displays.
The route will start at SE 5th Street on Federal Highway and continue north to the Mizner Park Amphitheater, with grandstand viewing available at Sanborn Square, according to the City’s event details. Temporary barricades will line the parade route, and spectators are required to stay behind the barricades for safety. Designated crosswalks will be open along the route, and after the parade, pedestrians are asked to stay off Federal Highway so street sweepers can move in and clear the roadway for reopening.
To accommodate staging and crowds, Federal Highway from Camino Real to Glades Road will be closed in both directions from approximately 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Traffic will be directed to Dixie Highway and surrounding streets. City staff are urging attendees to plan ahead by walking, biking, carpooling, using rideshare, or taking advantage of free public parking at several nearby locations.
Free parking will be available at City Hall (201 W. Palmetto Park Road), the Downtown Boca Raton Library (400 NW 2nd Avenue), Building Administration (200 NW 2nd Avenue), and the City parking lot at 300 NW 2nd Avenue, according to the City’s parade guidance.
Before the parade steps off, families can take part in a one-mile “Boca Holiday Mile Run” organized with the Boca Raton Police Athletic League, giving runners and walkers a chance to hit the route ahead of the floats.
The parade is one piece of a broader holiday calendar under the Boca Jolly Days banner. A Holiday Pops Concert, Tuba Christmas, and a December Night Market are also scheduled at Mizner Park Amphitheater and Sanborn Square. Additional information is available through the City’s events pages at myboca.us.
The Holiday Pops Concert returns to Mizner Park Amphitheater on Saturday, December 6, with doors at 6 p.m. and showtime at 7 p.m. The ticketed performance features The Symphonia, conducted by Jacomo Bairos, joined by the Florida Atlantic University Chorus. The city describes the program as a symphonic celebration of the season, mixing holiday classics with Bairos’ “genre-blending and community-driven artistry.”
On Sunday, December 7, the focus shifts to low brass for Tuba Christmas at Mizner Park Amphitheater. The free 5 p.m. concert invites families to bring chairs and blankets and sing along to holiday favorites while festively decorated tubas and euphoniums handle the melody. According to the event schedule, performer registration runs from 2:30 p.m. to 3 p.m., followed by rehearsal at 3 p.m. and the concert at 5 p.m. Registration for musicians is $10, with songbooks available for $20. Players are encouraged to bring a music stand, wear holiday attire, and decorate their instruments.
Sanborn Square will host the Holiday Night Market on Thursday, December 11, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The City describes the outdoor market as an evening of food, handmade gifts, art, and live music under the palms, with a mobile bar and local makers on site. The December date is part of the City’s recurring Night Market series at 72 N. Federal Highway, currently scheduled on select Thursdays from October 2025 through May 2026.
For full parade maps, Night Market dates, and any schedule or parking updates, residents are directed to visit myboca.us.
