2020 Schenectady Holiday Parade in Downtown Schenectady
Editor's Note (9/14/2020): On September 14, 2020, Schenectady Mayor Gary McCarthy announced that the 2020 Schenectady Holiday Parade will be canceled. Below, you can still read about the 2019 event. We will update this page next year for the 2021 Schenectady Holiday Parade.
Giant floats will light the streets of Schenectady at the 2019 Schenectady Holiday Parade on Saturday, November 23, 2019. This festive event is widely known as the largest nighttime holiday parade in the Northeast, and it is held annually on the Saturday before Thanksgiving.
Photo credit: Brian Moak/Brian Jude Photography
Parade & Pre-Parade Street Festival Details
The annual Schenectady Holiday Parade will be held on Saturday, November 23, 2019, at 5:00pm. It is the 51st anniversary of this Capital Region tradition. The City of Schenectady, The Daily Gazette, The Capital Region Chamber of Commerce, and several other sponsors come together to present this wonderful occasion.
This event is treasured by tens of thousands of Capital Region residents who look forward to the parade every holiday season. Expected attendance is over 10,000 people. The theme for this year is "Sugar Rush."
The Pre-Parade Street Festival will begin at 2:00pm on Jay Street and end at 5:00pm. Enjoy face painters, balloon artists, live music, food vendors, crafters, area businesses, and more. Come out early, get a great parking spot, and celebrate the holidays!
Street Closures
From 3:00pm to 4:00pm, the Schenectady Police Department will be closing many downtown streets including, but not limited to the following streets (intersecting streets will also be affected):
- State Street (Nott Terrace to Broadway): 3pm
- State Street (Broadway to the end of Western Gateway Bridge on the Scotia side): 4pm
- Western Gateway Bridge (closed in both directions): 4pm
- Erie Boulevard (State Street to Liberty Street): 4pm
- Broadway (Liberty Street to Hamilton Street): 4pm
- Lafayette Street (Liberty Street to State Street): 4pm
- Clinton Street (Smith Street to State Street): 4pm
- 1-890 Washington Avenue exits will be closed (4C Westbound, Rice Road Eastbound): 4pm
- Church Street (Argyle Place to Liberty Street): 4pm
Parking
Public parking for spectators will be available at:
- Broadway Garage
- Broadway Surface lot
- Broadway and Franklin Street
- Amtrak lot (Erie Boulevard and Liberty Street)
- Erie Boulevard and Liberty Street North
- City lot located between Liberty Street and Franklin Street
Due to shows in Schenectady, not all parking options will be free.
Participate in or Support the Parade
Interested in sponsoring or participating in the parade? Contact Kaci Palleschi, Events Manager of The Daily Gazette, at kpalleschi@dailygazette.net