The Palm Springs Festival of Lights Parade is a magical event featuring a dazzling display of giant helium balloons, spirited marching bands, imaginative floats and other
captivating entertainment units. It's a spectacle that promises to leave a lasting impression on your students and create cherished memories for
a lifetime.
The Palm Springs Festival of Lights Parade is broadcast live by both NBC Palm Springs and Univision Palm Springs, captivating the
hearts of over 300,000 households. Additionally, the parade route is lined with nearly 100,000 enthusiastic spectators who come to revel in
the holiday spirit.
Celebrating its 32nd year in 2024, the Palm Springs Festival of Lights Parade is consistently rated one of the best events in Southern California and one of the "top" holiday parades in the USA.
Marching bands are an important part of the parade and often match the spirit of the nighttime spectacle by performing holiday music and adorning their uniforms with lights.
The 1.25-mile parade route travels up Palm Canyon Drive from Ramon Road to Tamarisk Road.
• Brawley Wildcat Marching Band- Union High School, Brawley, CA
• Coachella Valley Mighty Marching Arabs High School Band, Thermal, CA
• Desert Hot Springs High School Golden Eagle Band and Rancho Mirage High School Rattler Regiment Combined Bands, Desert Hot Springs, CA
• Desert Mirage High School Mighty Scarlet Regiment Ram Band & Pageantry, Thermal, CA
• Desert Mountain High School Marching Wolves, Scottsdale, AZ
• Heartbeat Music & Performing Arts Academy - Thunder Squad Drumline, San Diego, CA
• Indio High School and Middle School Pride of the Desert Marching Band and Color Guard, Indio, CA
• Palm Desert Charter Middle School Marching Band & Color Guard, Palm Desert, CA
• Palm Springs High School Spirit of the Sands Marching Band and Visual Corps, Palm Springs, CA
• Raymond Cree Middle School Desert Treasure Marching Band & Visual Corps, Palm Springs, CA
• Riverside Polytechnic High School Band - Riverside, CA
• SkyHawks Marching Regiment, Fontana, CA
• The Jurupa Valley High School Shadow Marching Band and Visual Corps, Jurupa, CA
• Valle Del Sol Elementary School Drum Line, Coachella, CA
Bands traveling to Palm Springs for the Festival of Lights Parade can take advantage of educational and entertaining opportunities including:
- Palm Springs Tramway
- Downtown Palm Springs
- Palm Springs Walk of Stars
- VillageFest
- Living Desert Zoo
- Natural wonders including Joshua Tree National Park, Salton Sea, Mojave National Preserve and Death Valley National Park
- Major attractions including Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm, Legoland, Hollywood and San Diego Zoo
Greater Palm Springs is surrounded by four picturesque mountain ranges and is known for its blue skies, inspiring scenery and sense of adventure. Since the 1920s,
Palm Springs has been Hollywood's desert playground for celebrities. The legendary "Two-Hour Rule" of Hollywood studios put Palm Springs on the map
for actors who had to be available within two hours for last-minute film/photo shoots.
Web: PSFestivalOfLights.com
Email: Ray Pulver, Parade Producer
Phone: 408-629-2520
OR
Email: Jasmine Sullivan-Waits, Special Events Manager
Mail: Palm Springs Parks and Recreation, 401 S. Pavilion Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262
Phone: 760-323-8276
If you're interested in entering your band in the Palm Springs Festival of Lights Parade,
please request an application from Ray Pulver at the contact info above.