Full Notification

The 45th Annual Festival of Lights Parade is Sunday, 11/27/22 in downtown Los Altos and scheduled to start at 6:00 p.m.

We have compiled the following parking & viewing guidelines to assist you.

Parking in Downtown Los Altos this Sunday

• Accessible parking for parade spectators will be located behind Wells Fargo but you need to enter Plaza North by way of Fourth Street off of W. Edith. Accessible parking will be in the center rows.
• No Parking signs have been posted throughout the downtown area, including the parking plazas. Different areas will shut down at different times. For instance, the parade route along Main and State Streets primarily shut down at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday. Though outlying areas such as Plaza North between First and Third Streets will be used for float staging and will shut down as early as 6:00 a.m. 
• Vehicles are subject to tow if parked in key areas of the parade route and staging areas after the posted no parking time.
• If you are a Festival of Lights volunteer, and possess a designated parking pass, you will be allowed to park inside the parade perimeter. However, you will have to wait until the roadways have been officially opened by the police department before you can drive and exit the perimeter.
• The same goes for anyone parked inside the parade footprint after the roadways are shut down. Lucky you if your vehicle was not towed, but unfortunately you will have to wait until the roadways are officially opened by the police department before you can leave.
• An alternative would be to avoid parking downtown Sunday afternoon and simply allow extra time to walk or rideshare to your destination.

To promote an environment of safety and enjoyment for all parade spectators, the Festival of Lights Parade Association and the Los Altos Police Department request that you please adhere to the following guidelines for selecting your viewing spot prior to the parade.

• ​No person shall place on any public property any furniture, stakes, rope, ribbon, signs or any other item used to reserve areas for parade viewing before 12:00 noon on the day of the parade. 
• No materials used to reserve areas of public property shall block or interfere with pedestrian or vehicular traffic, or block those portions of sidewalks and streets used for same. 
• Adhesive material, including adhesive tape, is prohibited for use in reserving space for parade viewing; including, but not limited to, the use of tape or other adhesives on trees, poles and signs. 
• No person shall sell, lease, or rent any seat or space on public property for use in viewing the parade. 
• No person may use any area of public property so as to interfere with any person’s viewing of the parade from a City authorized and approved grandstand. 
• All materials used to designate a private viewing area as described in this section shall be removed by 10:00 p.m. on the day of the parade. 
• Any materials not removed by 10:00 p.m. on the day of the parade will be deemed to be discarded trash and disposed of by municipal crews during cleanup after the parade. 
• All viewing must take place from the sidewalk or intersections. ABSOLUTELY NO VIEWING IN FRONT OF THE PARKLETS. No portion of the roadway in the parade route may be occupied or obstructed prior to or during the parade.
• No chairs or personal items will be allowed in the roadway while roads are open to vehicle traffic. If items are in unauthorized areas, they will be moved. If viewing at a designated intersection or major ingress and egress area, gaps must be available to allow emergency personnel and designated vehicle traffic to pass through until a complete road closure is obtained by police personnel. 

Thank you for your cooperation and Happy Holidays! For more parade information, visit https://www.losaltosparade.org/.