May Parade
Saturday  /  May 2, 2026  /  10 am

The streets of Orange will come alive with marching bands, floats and community pride when the May Parade returns May 2 at 10 am, anchoring the inaugural Celebrate Orange weekend.

“We typically get a couple hundred entries,” says Elizabeth Holloman, Parade Chair and Board Member of the Orange Chamber of Commerce Foundation, which produces the event.

Participation is intentionally broad.  “Anyone can be in the parade, as long as they’re not campaigning or have a political message,” she says of the event that prominently features education and youth.

“Traditionally, all the public high schools and middle schools in Orange and some private schools, as well as Chapman University and Santiago Canyon College, participate,” says Holloman.

Numerous nonprofits will march, including service clubs, veterans’ groups and historical organizations.  Local businesses —many serving as sponsors—also participate.

Some participants simply walk with their banner showing they are a sponsor, says Holloman, who notes that $500 is the minimum business sponsorship.

Schools and equestrian groups enter free, while community groups pay a modest $50.  Entries are accepted through mid-April.  Animals are welcome, though throwing candy or confetti is prohibited.

This year’s theme celebrates a national milestone and a local one. “It’s ‘Orange You Glad it’s America’s Birthday,’” says Holloman.

The parade itself marks its 60th run.  Founded in 1933, the parade ran for decades before ending in 1992.

Tad Smith recalls participating in the kiddies parade in the 1960s, part of a weekend called the May Festival, featuring a May Parade.  “If you won an award in the kiddies parade, you could be in the big May Parade,” recalls Smith, brother of former Mayor Tita Smith, and whose family has been in Orange for 100 years.

In 2019, Holloman helped revive the May Parade alongside her sister, Barbara Brock, and community leaders.  “Barbara and I had never done anything like this in our lives,” she says.  “People hadn’t heard of the parade because it had been gone for nearly 30 years.”

After a pause in 2025, the event returns under the Foundation’s leadership.

“All the money we raise is going back into the community, and we are really excited about that,” Holloman says.

As Celebrate Orange combines the parade, Taste of Orange and car show into one weekend, Holloman hopes the revival sparks lasting unity.  “There are so many people in this community deeply involved in making this a better place to live,” she says.

“I think it’s a terrific idea because it goes back to the idea of the May Parade and the May Festival combined, and there was a little something for everyone in that,” adds Smith.  “It’s heartwarming, and you know that this is your town and your place.”

Orange Chamber of Commerce Foundation
34 Plaza Square, Old Towne Orange, CA 92866  /  714-538-3581

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Select to view archival Mar/Apr 2020 or Mar/Apr 2024 "May Parade" article.