The Lake Worth Beach Holiday Parade turns 60 this year, and the city is marking it with a theme built for kids and the kid in everyone: Candyland. The parade steps off Saturday, December 5, 2026, at 6 p.m. in Downtown Lake Worth Beach, with lit floats, performers and marching bands rolling through the heart of town. It is free to watch, and the city is now signing up groups, businesses and organizations that want to march in it.

Sixty years is a long run for any small-town tradition in Palm Beach County. It means generations of families have grown up with the same December ritual: claiming a curb spot downtown early and waiting for the first lights to come around the corner. For the anniversary edition, the City of Lake Worth Beach is leaning all the way into sweets: the official poster is a riot of candy canes, peppermint swirls, gumdrops and a waving gingerbread man, and the city describes the route as a glowing, edible-looking wonderland once the floats light up.

How to be in it, not just at it

The quiet part of a parade like this is that much of it is built by neighbors. School bands, churches, scout troops, youth sports teams, dance studios and local shops are the ones riding the floats and carrying the banners. The city's Special Events team is taking parade entries and sponsorships now. Groups can reach the team by email at [email protected] or by phone at 561-533-7395, and the parade page on lakeworthbeachfl.gov has the poster and details.

If your group has been talking about building a float for years, the 60th is the one to do it for. Seven weeks is a comfortable runway for a decorated truck, a string of lights and a lot of hot glue, and a Candyland theme gives everyone an easy starting point: oversized lollipops, gingerbread costumes and peppermint-striped everything.

The parade anchors a full season downtown and on the beach

The parade is the headline, but it sits inside a packed run of free city events that starts at the end of this month. Here is the lineup the city has set, in order, so you can put it on the fridge now.

  • Little Scream Trunk-or-Treat, Friday, October 30, 6 to 9 p.m., Bryant Park (100 S. Golfview Rd.). Local vehicles line up and pop their trunks so kids can trick-or-treat in costume in one safe, walkable loop by the Intracoastal. Winners of the city's Halloween Yard Decorating Contest are announced that night, and the city is still looking for vehicles and sponsors.
  • Bonfires and Night Market, starting Friday, November 6, 6 to 9 p.m., Casino and Beach Complex. A bonfire on the sand, a live band, local vendors and DJ Chico561 on sound. November runs under a Fall Fires theme, with Hot Gritz on November 6 and Sekond Nature on November 20.
  • Veterans Day Celebration, Wednesday, November 11, 5 p.m., Bryant Park.
  • Tree Lighting, Monday, November 30, 6:30 to 8 p.m., Cultural Plaza (414 Lake Ave.). Photos with Santa, games, arts and crafts, face painting, performances on the stage and the lighting of the tree.
  • Holiday Parade, Saturday, December 5, 6 p.m., Downtown Lake Worth Beach. The 60th, in Candyland.

Bonfire Fridays run straight through February

The beach bonfires are one of the best deals in South Florida once the evenings cool off, and this season's schedule is already locked in. Every night has a different band and every month has its own theme. December is Fireside Holidays, with Night Jar on December 4 and Matt Brown and AZ Music Academy on December 18, a night that also brings photos with Santa. January is New Year, New Flame, with Joey Tenuto on January 8 and Paul Anthony and The Reggae Souljahs on January 22. February closes things out as Love and Flames, with Andii Stryon on February 5 and Wonderama on February 19.

Bonfires usually land on the first and third Fridays of the month. January is the exception, when they shift to the second and fourth Fridays. Bring lawn chairs and blankets and get there early for a good spot near the fire. Artisans and crafters who want a table in the Night Market can sign up for the whole season at once through the city's vendor page.

And the calendar keeps going after the holidays

The city's 2026 to 2027 schedule also brings back Sunset on the Avenue, an evening of music and sunset views at Cultural Plaza, on January 16, March 5, April 17, May 7, June 5 and August 20, each at 7 p.m. The Lake Worth Beach Street Painting Festival, the weekend when downtown streets turn into chalk murals, returns Saturday and Sunday, February 27 and 28, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. An Easter Egg Hunt at Bryant Park follows on Saturday, March 27, at 10 a.m., and the Fourth of July celebration returns to Bryant Park on Sunday, July 4, at 6 p.m.

What it means if you live here

For residents of Lake Worth Beach, from the College Park and Parrot Cove neighborhoods north of Lake Avenue to the Bryant Park and South Palm Park streets to the south, this is a season of free nights out within walking or biking distance of home. Almost every event happens on the same small grid: Bryant Park on the lagoon, Cultural Plaza on Lake Avenue, and the beach at the end of the bridge. That is the real gift of a town this size. You do not need tickets, a long drive or a parking plan to show up.

The 60th parade is also a rare chance to be part of a piece of local history rather than just watching it go by. If you have ever wanted your kid's team, your church choir or your shop out on the route, this is the year to raise a hand. Mark Saturday, December 5, find your curb, and save room for something sweet.