Richardson Christmas Parade 2026 on Coit Road: A Canyon Creek Guide

Richardson's 54th annual Christmas Parade starts at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5. This year it runs on Coit Road and ends at J.J. Pearce High School, with a theme of "Favorite Holiday Movies." The last two parades ran along Plano Road on the east side of town. This year the parade comes to the west side, a short drive from Custer Parkway and Lookout Drive.

The same Saturday also holds Canyon Creek Country Club's Mrs. Claus breakfast and opening night of Santa's Village at Huffhines Park. That puts three holiday events on one Saturday, spread from Coit Road to Apollo Road. Roads along the route close at 8 a.m., and the rest of the day's plans work around that time.

Two Years on Plano Road, Then Coit

The city's description of the parade says the route "alternates between the East and West side of town." In practice, the pattern has not been a strict back-and-forth. In 2024, Community Impact reported that the route started at Belt Line Road, ran north on Plano Road and ended at Apollo Road. In 2025, the city's own weekly update put the parade on South Plano Road between Belt Line and Apollo again. Richardson Today described the same stretch as running from Richardson Square Mall to Apollo.

For a Canyon Creek household with young kids, this year's route is much closer to home than the last two.

The exact starting point is still unsettled. The city's parade page says the route begins at Cherrywood Drive in one section and at Belt Line Road in its road-closure section. Both versions end at J.J. Pearce. The city says road-closure maps are "coming this fall." Until they're posted, the reliable facts are Coit Road, J.J. Pearce at the north end, and "temporary closures, detours, and traffic congestion" around that corridor.

The Morning, Hour by Hour

The city states the key rule plainly: road access "will not be possible under any circumstance after 8am until the end of the parade." The parade wraps up around 10 to 11 a.m., depending on where you are along the route. The rest of the day works around those times.

• 7 a.m. Bagel Cafe 21 at 1920 N. Coit Road, Suite 211, opens on Saturdays, serving bagels, breakfast sandwiches and coffee until 1 p.m. la Madeleine at Coit & Campbell, 1320 W. Campbell Road, also opens at 7 a.m. on Saturdays. Picking up breakfast at either spot right at opening leaves time to get in place before closures start. Holiday hours can change, so check either business's page that week.
• 7:45 a.m. This is the latest check-in time for Friends of the Parade VIP ticket holders. The reserved lot closes once roads close, and the city says no refunds are given for late arrival.
• 8 a.m. Roads close.
• 9 a.m. The parade steps off. At the same hour, Canyon Creek Country Club's calendar lists "Kids' Breakfast with Mrs. Claus: North Pole Stories" from 9 to 11 a.m., with registration and separate adult and child prices. Families on the club's calendar have to pick one or the other this year. Both run during the same two hours.
• 10 to 11 a.m. The parade ends, with the city's estimate varying by point along the route. Roads stay closed until the parade is over.
• 6 p.m. Santa's Village at Huffhines Park, 1500 Apollo Road, opens its first evening session. It runs until 9 p.m. Admission and parking are free, and Santa photos are part of the visit.

So the day starts on Coit Road and ends across town on Apollo Road. The afternoon in between is open for the drive across town and a nap.

Getting a Good Spot Without a Driveway

Last year, Richardson Today told parade-goers to stand or sit anywhere along the route. It also said there were no official event parking lots, suggested carpooling, transit or walking, and asked people not to park in residential areas. That was guidance for a Plano Road route. The 2026 rules for Coit Road will come with the closure maps, but there's no sign yet that the basic approach will change.

The other option is the city's Friends of the Parade ticket. It includes reserved parking, reserved bleacher seats at the parade's midpoint, live commentary from the parade's MC hosts, and hot cocoa and breakfast treats in a hospitality tent. Tickets are $25 each, or $75 for a Gold Package of four. They go on sale Oct. 26. The city's sponsor page estimated about 3,000 spectators for the 2025 parade.

Putting Canyon Creek in the Parade

The same sponsor page estimated about 2,500 participants in 2025, close to the number of people watching. Entries come from local organizations, businesses, individuals and families. Applications open Monday, Oct. 26, and close Sunday, Nov. 22.

Here's how entering works, according to the city's parade page:

1. Apply between Oct. 26 and Nov. 22. The fee is $25 for individuals and nonprofits, a group that covers school groups, churches and community organizations. Businesses pay $100. Each entry chooses a division, such as float, vehicle, marching or walking, or animal. Entries also choose a unit type, and individuals and families unaffiliated with an organization enter under the civic category.
2. Agree to the parade rules.
3. Donate at least one new, unwrapped toy. The toys go to Network of Community Ministries, and the parade itself benefits the same group. The drop-off point is Heights Recreation Center at 711 W. Arapaho Road. Skateboards, bicycles and scooters aren't accepted.
4. Submit proof of insurance for any motorized vehicle. A PDF or a photo of the insurance card is acceptable.

Anyone thinking about a walking group should know that participants walk the whole route and back, about 3 miles round trip, with no return shuttles. If you'd rather help backstage, the city also recruits volunteers to check in floats, carry banners and serve as parade marshals.

Network of Community Ministries already has a Canyon Creek connection this fall. The Canyon Creek HOA's National Night Out plan on Oct. 6 collected food donations for the group at registered block parties.

The Season Around Dec. 5

The parade falls in the middle of a run of Richardson events that starts this weekend and continues past mid-December.

Huffhines Harvest Fest turns 50 this year. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 18. Admission is free. Saturday includes Pawtoberfest for pets and their owners, and Sunday features the Kids Market, where young entrepreneurs sell what they've made. The Sunday costume contest is hosted by J-Si from the Kidd Kraddick Morning Show and takes place at 2:30 p.m. on the Front Porch Stage. The top family costume wins $100. Registration closes Oct. 15 at 5 p.m., three days from now.

The Gobble Hobble is in its 21st year and benefits the Richardson Boys & Girls Club. The city describes the course as fast and flat, with views of the Spring Creek Nature Preserve. Registration is $39 for the 1-mile Digital Dash, $49 for the 5K and $69 for the 10K, and prices go up after Oct. 19.

Santa's Village runs evening sessions from 6 to 9 p.m. on Dec. 5–6, 11–13 and 18–20. Daytime strolling hours run 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Dec. 7–9 and 14–17. An Adaptive Night on Thursday, Dec. 10, from 6 to 8 p.m. requires advance registration.

The CityLine Merry Market brings more than 70 makers and a Hot Cocoa Crawl to CityLine Plaza. Friday, Dec. 11 runs 6 to 10 p.m. The Saturday listing gives an end time of either 5 or 6 p.m., so check the event page before you go.

Canyon Creek Country Club's Santa Brunch follows a week after the parade, on Saturday, Dec. 12, from 9 a.m. to noon. Registration is required. Families who choose the parade over Mrs. Claus on Dec. 5 still have a club Santa morning on the calendar.

At home, the Canyon Creek HOA picks Holiday Lights yard-award winners in each quadrant of the neighborhood. Its site already has the 2026 Yard Awards nomination form posted, next to last year's quadrant winners. The page doesn't list a 2026 award date yet.

If you're mapping out Dec. 5 and wondering how Coit Road closures will affect your corner of Canyon Creek, Graham Group is happy to talk it through. We follow these local calendars because our clients live by them, and we're glad to share the routes, the timing and a good breakfast spot. When the city posts the 2026 closure maps this fall, reach out and we'll help you plan the morning.