Holiday Festival & Parade

Downtown Gilroy Holiday Festival & Parade

2026 Presenting Partner

December 5, 2026 at 3pm

Join us for a FREE, family-friendly event in the heart of downtown Gilroy!

Stay tuned for updates and announcements!

HIGHLIGHTS:

Trail of Treats (3-5pm): Goodies for the kids, petting zoo and photo op with Chillroy!
Entertainment (3-5pm): Two stages, featuring fabulous local talent!
Santa’s Village at Keller Williams: Meet the jolly man himself!
Grinchville: Embrace the mischievous charm of the Grinch
Parade: Enjoy a talented collection of local organizations & performers as they take to the streets!
Float Contest: Participants in the parade are automatically entered to win!
Tree Lighting: Ring in the holiday season as we light up our downtown Christmas tree
Goodies Galore: Feast on treats from vendors & local businesses

2026 Grand Marshal

Kurt Michielssen

We are proud to name Kurt Michielssen as the Grand Marshal of the 2026 Holiday Festival & Parade. Kurt began his banking career in Watsonville in 1971 and moved to Gilroy in 1981, building his work on a simple belief: a bank should know the people it serves. As a senior vice president at Pinnacle Bank until his retirement this year, he helped countless South County businesses, families and farmers turn their plans into reality — all while giving his time to the Rotary Club of Gilroy, the Gilroy Foundation, Gavilan College Educational Foundation, Gilroy Economic Development Corporation, South County Community Services and Gilroy Gardens. Naming him Grand Marshal is our way of saying thank you.

Presented by

NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN

Help Us Choose This Year's Junior Grand Marshal

Help us shine a light on a young person under 19 who has shown outstanding service, heart, and commitment to Gilroy. Nominate a local young hero today!

SUBMIT A NOMINATION Nominations close September 1, 2026

2026 JUNIOR GRAND MARSHAL

Nominations Now Open!

Nominations are open for our 2026 Junior Grand Marshal — a young person who lives in Gilroy, is under 19, and gives back to the community in a way that inspires the rest of us. If someone comes to mind, we would love to hear about them. Nominations close Monday, September 1, 2026.

Thank you, 2026 Sponsors!

AS OF 6/15/2026

Chillroy Sponsor

2026 Media Sponsor

Holiday Magic Sponsor

South Pole VIP Sponsor

Christmas Tree Sponsor

North Pole VIP Sponsor

Stage Sponsor

Featuring a special Book Reading from Ken Christopher

Santa's Village Sponsor

Downtown Champion Sponsors

Star of Light Sponsors

Gwyn & Ed
Sauceda

Glad Tidings Sponsors

Gwyn and Ed Sauceda

Floors Direct of Gilroy

Alicia Hernandez — Realtor

Goodwill Sponsors

Lauri Gray School of Dance

Sourcewise

Morgan Hill Speech

Traviosoz

Powdercoat Shop

Sunbelt Rentals

In-Kind Sponsors

Bill Doherty

Thank You to Our 2026 Committee!

We are grateful to the dedicated community members, business leaders, and local partners helping bring the 2026 GDBA Holiday Festival & Parade to life.

Albert Lambert — Community Member
Barbara Orth — Integrated Financial Benefits / ChFC, CASL
Gwyn and Ed Sauceda — Sage Construction Management
Jeff Orth — Integrated Financial Benefits / ChFC, CASL
Kamille Rocha — MC Insurance Services
Lisa Clark — The Buzz PR / LC Events Planning & Design
Lisa Faria — Christie’s – Sereno Real Estate
Mary Gurries / Bejarano — Visit Gilroy, Tourism & Community Engagement Coordinator
Michele Campbell — MC Insurance Services, Founder & Owner
Nita Mitchell — Independent / Community Volunteer
Vickie Haussmann — Floors Direct of Gilroy
Wendy Noboa — iFIT