Bring On The Lights!
Niles Festival of Lights Parade
Always the Friday after Thanksgiving!
Presented by Niles Main Street Association
24th annual Niles Festival of Lights parade was a SUCCESS!
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24th annual Niles Festival of Lights parade was a SUCCESS! 🎄
Hello Niles and beyond!
I am truly thankful for the outpouring of community support, well wishes and good tidings. Because of you, our 24th annual Niles Festival of Lights parade was a success. With ten floats, six bands, 65 Tap Dancing Christmas Trees, and over 1500 parade participants, this was the longest and highest attended parade ever. Please send us your parade photos to include in social media and website! Info@niles.org
Each year, we try to make improvements and adjustments to ensure the community and local businesses can enjoy themselves. The early street closure is something the city has imposed over the past five years for safety reasons. To help offset the impact, we are slowly growing pre-parade activities to encourage people to come in to town early, enjoy the shops and festivities. The Santa photo ops were a hit and will be back next year! We were also able to open up additional parking before the parade which was an incredible help as well. Next year, we will add more family friendly activities.
The mobile vending - we do the best we can to keep the parade footprint clear. Overall commentary from years past were complaints about mobile vendors blocking parade views. This parade attracts thousands in our small footprint. We just don't have the space to allow mobile vendors. Not to mention we have permits we are obligated to adhere to. We will continue to keep up our efforts to prevent mobile vendors from accessing the parade footprint.
The chairs.... oh the chairs.... This year, I was pleased to see the rush of chairs did not happen, mostly, until Friday morning. While NMSA reserves the right to clear chairs at will, we simply do not have the funds or the capacity to hire extra security and incorporate resources for chair management. We are considering doing a chair rental program where Niles Main Street invests in a section of chairs people can rent, only open to the community and businesses? Maybe you become a Niles Main Street member and a benefit is a chair rental for the parade? We will continue to work on this and strive to do better.
Special thanks to all of our volunteers, especially Lindsay and Josh, local high school Key Clubs, Upbeat Parade Productions, Fremont PD, Mr. Mikey's Country Store and family, American Legion Post 837 at Niles Veterans Hall, and all the workers who help us make this happen. Thank you to Fremont PD dispatch and Community Services who fielded numerous calls and questions from me.
Special thanks to our major sponsors - City of Fremont, Supervisor Haubert, Washington Health, Rae Rae's at Joe's Corner, and Republic Services. This parade and our annual events cannot happen without sponsors like these.
This Tuesday, Dec 2, is our holiday membership gathering, 6pm at Art Freaks, across from Niles Flying A. It is also Giving Tuesday. Please come out to the membership meeting, join Niles Main Street, and support our continued events for 2026! Any new or returning members before Dec 31st will be entered into the Niles Main Street drawing happening at our January board meeting! Join! Donate! Volunteer!
Niles Main Street Association | Discover Niles Today!
I wish you all a fabulous holiday season!
Thank you Niles and beyond!
Krysten Laine, President
Niles Main Street Association
Special Thanks to our 2025 Parade Sponsors
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Presenting Sponsor
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Star Sponsor
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Star Sponsor
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Mistletoe Sponsor
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Mistletoe Sponsor
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Holiday Sponsor
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Holiday Sponsor
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Community Sponsor
Parade Route Seating
Always the Friday after Thanksgiving!
NO CHAIRS ALLOWED UNTIL 12 NOON FRIDAY!
CHAIRS WILL BE REMOVED IF PLACED BEFORE 6AM!
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Sponsor
Your support makes this parade a reality!
It takes support from sponsors to make the parade happen for the community. The parade offers several levels of participation with many promotional benefits. The parade offers great visibility, benefits, and community involvement. The committee will work with you to create a special sponsor package to meet your organizations needs.
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Enter
Be part of the parade!
The Niles Festival of Lights welcomes organizations to submit an entry application to participate in the parade. All entries are by invitation only and subject to approval by Parade Organizers. All entries are selected on their entertainment value, uniqueness, size, and appearance.
The parade is a “family fun” celebration and parade participants must be appropriate to be seen by all ages.
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Volunteer
Help make this event a reality!
It takes nearly 100 volunteers to stage and move the parade through the Niles District. Volunteer opportunities include; giant balloon handlers, banner carriers, staging and de-staging coordinating, parade marshals, VIP guest hosts and more. It’s a great day to show your holiday spirit and join the fun of the parade!
About The Niles Festival of Lights Parade
The Niles Festival of Lights Parade celebrates the opening of the holiday season with a lighted parade that provides entertainment, community spirit, and sharing this event for all to enjoy.
Since 2001, the Niles Festival of Lights Parade has become a tradition in the City of Fremont. Niles was established in the 1850's and was a junction point of the Southern Pacific Railroad lines from Oakland to San Jose and southern coastal points. Niles as the community continues to show off a captivating historic character, a family atmosphere, and a friendly shopping experience.
The parade annually features wonderful entries such as giant parade balloons, creative floats, marching bands, antique vehicles, dance groups and special guests. The parade draws more than 10,000+ spectators along the half-mile parade route in Niles.
As a holiday gift to the City of Fremont and the Niles District, members of the Niles Merchant Association have organized the parade since its inception in 2001. They rely on financial contributions from individuals, businesses and community groups to organize this major event each year. To produce this great community event, we need sponsorship, we need volunteers, but the parade wouldn't be a parade without participation of great entries!
Frequently Asked Questions
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The Niles Tree Lighting and Festival of Lights Parade is produced and facilitated by members of the community. The event is funded entirely by community and business sponsorship and attracts tens of thousands of spectators along beautiful tree lined streets of Historic Niles District.
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Streets that are part of the official Parade route and are integral to the event are closed from 4 PM - 9 PM.
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You may submit your parade entry all year long, but the cutoff date for the current year parade is typically mid-late October. However, you may inquire to see if there are available openings due to drop outs. For parade entry information click HERE.
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Fremont made fireworks illegal for various reasons and does not allow fireworks of any kind within the city limits. Other cities may have fireworks, but bringing them to Fremont and lighting them is illegal and you will be fined.
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No. Due to the safety of all involved in the parade, entries and spectators, drones are not allowed over the Parade Route or anywhere near. This is requested by the Fremont Department, the City of Fremont and the Niles Festival of Lights Parade Committee.