"While the city is not able to take on an additional holiday event this year, and no groups have offered to run the parade, the city wanted to find another way to support the bands."
A City of San Marcos spokesperson gave that statement to The Coast News in October. In plain terms, there will be no holiday parade on Mission this December. The parade used to fill one Sunday afternoon. This year the holiday weekend is split across three places: the Civic Center on Saturday, North City on Sunday, and the lakeside lawn at Lakehouse Resort on select evenings for most of the month.
Twenty-Eight Parades, One Route
The December 2025 parade was the 28th annual edition. The Coast News reported it had run every year since at least 1996, apart from the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021. It was normally held on the first Sunday of December. The last one started at 1 p.m. on Sunday, December 7, 2025, on a 2.5-mile route from Palomar College east along Mission to the Civic Center.
It was big. The Coast News counted 1,250 people marching in the 2025 parade and thousands more watching along the route. The Kiwanis Club of Lake San Marcos also added its own tradition: "Captain Book," a member dressed as a pirate who handed a free new book to each child along the route. School bands were central to it. According to The Coast News, a Mission Hills drum major said 200 students take part, and the Mission Hills and San Marcos High marching bands take turns leading the parade.
How the Budget Outgrew a Volunteer Club
The cost of the parade kept rising for the volunteer club that paid for it. Kiwanis organizer Carrie Clevers described the sequence to The Coast News in August:
- The city had been paying $3,000 in band stipends and a $7,000 highway-safety fee. It withdrew both as budget pressure grew.
- Kiwanis added $11,000 in expenses to its own budget in 2025.
- The expected cost of running the parade rose to $33,000.
- A $15,000 grant from County Supervisor Jim Desmond's office helped pay for the 2025 parade, but the club could not count on getting it again.
Clevers said the yearly fundraising had become too much to keep up. The club also wanted to keep its fundraising focused on its scholarship fund. The city met with other nonprofits over the summer to look for a new organizer. At its Sept. 8 meeting, the City Council noted that no new sponsor had stepped forward and decided not to have city staff run the 2026 parade. Mission Hills band members and parents spoke during public comment on Sept. 23. As of mid-October, the city had received no requests for a parade permit.
Saturday, December 5, at the Civic Center
The city's own event is on Saturday. The Tree Lighting & Merry Market runs from 1 to 7 p.m. at the San Marcos Community Center, 3 Civic Center Drive. That's the same Civic Center where the parade route used to end. Photos with Santa are free from 1 to 5 p.m. Craft and food vendors and free children's crafts run all afternoon. The City Council greets the crowd at 5:45 p.m., and Santa lights the tree at 6 p.m.
Saturday starts early, too. The city's fall recreation guide lists Breakfast with Santa that morning from 7:30 to 11 a.m., plus a 9 a.m. "High Trek Classic" hike. It also lists a December 5 city hike that starts at Lakeview Park, follows the Ridgeline Trail west, and comes back on the Cima and Discovery Creek trails. That loop is about six miles with 1,115 feet of climbing. If you're up early, you can make a full day of it: trail in the morning, then the Civic Center in the afternoon, staying through the tree lighting.
Sunday, December 6, at North City
December 6 is the first Sunday of the month, the day the parade would have run. This year it belongs to the San Marcos Chamber of Commerce's free Holly Jolly Holiday Market, open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 251 North City Drive. The Chamber lists more than 175 artisans, crafters and makers, plus seasonal food vendors, live holiday music, and Santa from noon to 2 p.m. Free parking is in the structure next to the market at 295 June Way.
The bands may still play that day. In its October statement, the city said it had connected with the Chamber and North City. It said San Marcos Unified band students would have "an opportunity" to perform at the market, and that the Chamber and the school district would coordinate the details. Families with a student in band can check with their school's band program for performance details.
Here's how the parade weekend compares with this year's:
| 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday | Not part of the parade | Tree Lighting & Merry Market, 1–7 p.m., Community Center, 3 Civic Center Dr. |
| First Sunday | Parade at 1 p.m., Palomar College to the Civic Center | Holly Jolly Holiday Market, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., 251 North City Dr. |
| Santa | Part of the parade | Free photos Saturday 1–5 p.m.; at North City Sunday noon–2 p.m. |
| Student bands | Marched, with Mission Hills and San Marcos High taking turns leading | Offered a chance to perform at the market |
| Organizer | Kiwanis Club of Lake San Marcos | City of San Marcos on Saturday; San Marcos Chamber of Commerce on Sunday |
The biggest change is the setting. For 28 parades, the holiday crowd lined Mission, the road that runs past Palomar College. This year, Sunday's crowd will be in the North City blocks.
The Evenings Go to the Lake
The two big days are back to back, but Lake San Marcos runs for most of the month. Lakehouse Resort's Winter Wonderland is open from 4 to 9 p.m. on select dates between November 27 and December 24, 2026. The Lakeside Lawn is decorated with lights, and there's a Frozen Fun Zone, the Lakehouse Express train, make-your-own s'mores and Build-a-Buddy. Entry is $10 for guests 10 and older, and kids under 10 get in free. Attraction tickets, food and drinks cost extra. You can also book holiday boat rides on the lake, private igloos and firepits. The resort is also running a Winter Wonderland pop-up at Brickmans, 1750 San Pablo Drive, with free shuttles between the two.
Technically, this one is just outside the city. The Lake San Marcos Community Association describes the lake community as unincorporated San Diego County. Of the three, it's the only one that runs across multiple December evenings.
Before December Arrives
November has a few dates on the city calendar too. On Saturday, November 7, the city's monthly hike is a moderate four-mile loop that starts at Cerro de Las Posas Park and passes through Santa Fe Hills and four other parks. Sign-in is at 8:30 a.m., and the hike starts at 9. On Wednesday, November 11, the city holds its Veterans Day ceremony at 11 a.m. at Helen Bougher Memorial Park, with a reception at noon. The fall recreation guide also lists a Thanksgiving Luncheon on November 25 and a senior center Holiday Party on December 16.
The 2027 Parade
The parade could come back in 2027. The City Council told staff to put it on the agenda for the council's annual goal-setting meeting in January or February. Council members also suggested holding that meeting a few weeks earlier to give more time to plan a 2027 parade. Any group that wants to organize it will be starting from the numbers Kiwanis shared: a budget expected to reach $33,000, a $15,000 county grant that covered part of 2025, and city support for band stipends and the safety fee that has already been withdrawn.
If you're getting ready to host family this December, or you're wondering whether a different San Marcos home would suit your holidays better next year, The Davidson Realty is glad to help you plan. Request a complimentary home valuation and concierge consultation. We'll walk you through timing, staging and every vendor so your move fits around the season.
