Sidney Sparkles Parade 2026: Date, Route & Boat Sail-Past

2026 dates not confirmed yet. The Peninsula Celebrations Society has not announced the 2026 Sidney Sparkles Parade yet. The details below are from 2025 to help you plan. We’ll update this page as soon as the 2026 details are announced.

Sidney’s Christmas parade is a proper small-town affair: lit-up trucks, antique cars, marching groups and floats with live bands rolling down Beacon Avenue, followed by Santa. Stay a little longer and you can watch decorated boats sail past the waterfront. Thousands of people line the street every year.

The parade is usually held on an early-December evening at 5:00 PM. In 2025 it was Sunday, December 7.

More parades: Victoria Santa Claus Parade, IEOA Truck Light Parade and Esquimalt Celebration of Lights.

Sidney Sparkles Parade: Quick Facts

The Route

In recent years the parade has started from Resthaven Drive, turned onto Beacon Avenue, run the length of Beacon, then turned onto Second Street before finishing near Ocean Avenue. It takes about an hour.

Lighted Boat Sail-Past

Weather permitting, lit-up boats sail past Sidney’s waterfront walkway about 15 minutes after the parade ends. Walk down Beacon Avenue to the water to watch.

Tips

• Find a spot on Beacon Avenue by 4:30 PM.
• Have dinner downtown afterward. The restaurants on Beacon Avenue fill up fast on parade night.
• Combine it with Butchart Gardens, 15 minutes away, on another evening.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Sidney Sparkles Parade in 2026?

The 2026 date has not been announced yet. In 2025 it was held on Sunday, December 7, at 5:00 PM.

Where does the parade go?

Along Beacon Avenue in downtown Sidney.

Is there a boat parade too?

Yes. Weather permitting, a lighted boat sail-past follows shortly after the parade.

Part of: Victoria Christmas Guide 2026 › Christmas on Vancouver Island 2026