Fallbrook's Christmas Parade Deadline Falls the Day After Veterans Day

Fallbrook's Christmas Parade happens on a Saturday night in December. The real cutoff for joining it comes on Thursday, Nov. 12, the morning after Main Avenue's other parade. If your business, club, scout troop or classic-car group wants to roll down Main on Dec. 5, the paperwork is due one day after the Veterans Day crowd goes home.

The two events are about 24 days apart on the same street, and they work very differently. Seeing how they differ explains how the whole season on Main Avenue is set up.

Two parades, opposite clocks

The Fallbrook Chamber of Commerce runs both. Beyond that, they have little in common.

The Veterans Day Parade is a weekday morning event, and its signup is already closed. Anyone going on Nov. 11 will be watching from the curb. The Christmas Parade is a weekend evening event, it marks its 45th year in 2026, and it still has open spots. Those spots are limited, and the window to claim one is short.

Wednesday morning on Main, hour by hour

The Veterans Day Parade has a fixed schedule from start to finish. The Chamber's Village News announcement calls it a "down-home, small town, old fashion parade" that will include fire trucks, youth groups, classic cars, military vehicles and local dignitaries. The participant instructions spell out the timing:

1. 8:45 to 9:45 a.m. Participants check in at the Chamber's pop-up tent in the Major Market parking lot by Denny's, where they get their place in the lineup.
2. 10 a.m. The parade starts at the corner of Fallbrook Street and Main Avenue.
3. About a mile later it reaches Alvarado Street, after running through downtown.
4. 11 a.m., or shortly after the parade ends. A ceremony is held at Village Square.
5. Noon. VFW Post 1924 serves a free lunch that is open to the public.

The instructions also say parking is limited and ask participants to carpool where they can. Spectators should plan for the same.

This year's Grand Marshal is a Fallbrook neighbor. Col. Michael W. Stehle, USMC, Ret., was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1996. His most recent post was Chief of Staff of the 1st Marine Logistics Group, from August 2024 to June 2026. He served in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, and also served in Korea.

Who has carried the Veterans Day parade

The 2026 parade sits on top of a longer local history. In 2017, Village News reported that VFW Post 1924 was preparing for that year's parade and inviting youth groups, active-duty military, patriotic groups and seniors to march. It also offered rides to anyone who couldn't walk the route. Groups gathered at the Major Market lot that year too, and the route ended at Village Square on Alvarado Street for an 11 a.m. ceremony. In 2023, Village News ran its coverage under the headline "Fallbrook brings back the Veterans Day Parade."

In 2026 the Chamber hosts the parade and VFW Post 1924 serves the lunch. The staging lot, the Alvarado Street finish and the 11 a.m. ceremony are the same as they were nine years ago. Those fixed pieces have stayed put while the work of running the event has been shared differently.

The Christmas Parade's Nov. 12 cutoff

The Chamber has set three rules for the Dec. 5 parade. Entries are capped at 100, the deadline is Thursday, Nov. 12, and the theme is "Americana Christmas." According to the Chamber's announcement in Village News, entry forms were already arriving at the Chamber office in early October.

The theme reaches beyond the floats. The Chamber encourages participants to carry "Americana Christmas" into their downtown window decorating as well. That means the storefronts along Main can echo the same idea the parade brings down the street after dark.

Entry applications are available at the Chamber office or online at the Fallbrook Chamber of Commerce website, under Events, then Christmas in the Village, then Christmas Parade. The Chamber also offers sponsorship packages and takes calls at 760-728-5845.

Count the days and the squeeze is clear. This post goes up Thursday, Nov. 5, so a group deciding today has one week to get a form in, and two of those days are taken by First Friday weekend and the Veterans Day morning.

What fills the weeks between

Between the deadline and the December parade, downtown Fallbrook keeps filling up.

• Friday, Nov. 6. Fallbrook First Friday. The Chamber's calendar describes it as a day to "support local businesses all day," and lists it from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 7. Holiday Show opening at Fallbrook Art Center, 103 S. Main Ave. The Holiday Show features handmade work by regional artists, and the opening reception from 4 to 6 p.m. is free and open to the public. The show page lists a Jan. 2 closing date, while the Art Center's 2026 exhibition calendar says Jan. 9, 2027. Check with the Art Center before planning a late visit.
• Saturday, Nov. 7. Bottom Shelf Bookstore reopens. The Friends of the Fallbrook Library say their bookstore reopens that day after closing for the solar project in the library parking lot. They also ask donors to hold book donations until after Nov. 7. The library is at 124 S. Mission Road.
• Saturday, Nov. 14. Stargazing Among the Vines. The Fallbrook Land Conservancy holds its second annual stargazing evening at Adobe Hill Winery, 40740 Via Ranchitos, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The evening includes wine, telescope viewing and food for purchase.
• Saturday, Nov. 28. Village Artisan Faire on Main Avenue. Expect handmade crafts, art, live music and holiday items. The Chamber's event page lists 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and a Chamber-submitted calendar in Village News lists 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Arriving early covers both.
• Friday, Dec. 4. Fallbrook Tree Lighting Festival at Fallbrook Community Center, 341 Heald Lane. This is the night before the parade.
• Friday, Dec. 11. Wine & A Bite Art Walk, 5 to 8 p.m. This is the Chamber's next downtown evening after the parade.

The Chamber's own office closes Nov. 25 through Nov. 27 for Thanksgiving. That closure falls after the Nov. 12 entry deadline, so any Christmas Parade questions need to reach the office before Veterans Day week is over.

Reading the season from the curb

Every signup on this calendar closes by mid-November. The two things that require an application each have a deadline, and both deadlines fall before Thanksgiving: Oct. 23 for the November parade and Nov. 12 for the December one.

So Wednesday, Nov. 11 is a full morning on Main Avenue: a parade at 10, a ceremony at Village Square around 11, and lunch with VFW Post 1924 at noon. It's also the last full day for groups to get their Christmas Parade entries finished before the Thursday cutoff.

Planning the season around Main Avenue, or wondering how all this foot traffic affects a home near downtown? I've spent 36 years watching how North County's small-town calendars shape the places people love to live, and I'm always happy to talk Fallbrook. Reach out to Jeff Underdahl. Let's Connect.