Mill Creek's Santa Parade Now Ends Where the Tree Gets Lit
October 22, 2026
October 22, 2026
At 4 p.m. on Saturday, December 5, the Santa Parade will set off from the former L.A. Fitness at 15024 Main St. and finish at Jewelry Source Plaza, 15603 Main St. One hour later, the City of Mill Creek lights the tree in that same plaza. So for 2026, the parade crowd and the tree-lighting crowd are in one place for the first time.
Two Decembers ago they weren't. In 2024, Santa's Village was at City Hall North, the tree was lit at City Hall South, and the parade ran on Main Street separately from both. Since then the city has been pulling the celebration together, one venue at a time. The day that results is easier to plan around than it used to be.
These details come from each year's published event listings and local coverage.
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, Dec. 7 | Saturday, Dec. 6 | Saturday, Dec. 5 |
| Parade start time | 3:30 p.m. | 4 p.m. | 4 p.m. |
| Parade route | Main Street | L.A. Fitness to City Hall North | Former L.A. Fitness to Jewelry Source Plaza |
| Santa's gathering spot | Santa's Village, City Hall North | No village named in 2025 event listings | Santa's Snowflake Village, The Forum at Town Center |
| Tree lighting | 5 p.m., City Hall South | 5 p.m., Jewelry Source Plaza | 5 p.m., Jewelry Source Plaza |
Two changes show up across those years, and the second follows from the first. Last year the tree moved: Lynnwood Times described Jewelry Source Plaza as "a brand-new location" for the 2025 lighting. The 2025 parade route still ended at City Hall North, though. People following Santa reached the end of the route and then had to walk back to the plaza for the 5 p.m. lighting. This year the route was redrawn to finish at the tree.
Look at the addresses. The parade starts at 15024 Main St. and ends at 15603 Main St. City Hall North is at 15720 Main St., a little beyond the new finish. Under the 2025 route, the parade went past the plaza where the tree was lit and kept going to City Hall North. The 2026 route stops where the lighting happens.
That gives families a simpler evening. The parade starts at 4 and the lighting is at 5, so the plaza at the end of the route becomes the place to be for both. You can watch Santa arrive and stay put for the lights without regrouping somewhere else.
The midday part of the day has moved too. Santa's Snowflake Village, hosted by the Mill Creek Chamber of Commerce, runs from noon to 4 p.m. at The Forum at Town Center, 15121 Main St. In 2024, Santa's Village was at City Hall North from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. and overlapped both the parade and the lighting. The 2026 village closes at 4, the moment the parade steps off, so each part of the afternoon hands off to the next one.
The full event is called Holidays on Main, with "Santa's Coming to Town Center" as the headline celebration. It runs from noon to 6 p.m. and is presented by the City of Mill Creek and the Mill Creek Chamber of Commerce.
The city lists Outdoor Lighting Perspectives, Active Martial Arts, Mill Creek Sports, and State Farm agent Chris Jones as event partners and sponsors, along with the Chamber. State Farm and Chris Jones also presented Santa pictures in 2024.
Last year the day started earlier with a ticketed Breakfast with Santa at La Palmera, 15224 Main St. Lynnwood Times reported a 9 a.m. start and prices of $30 for kids ages 3 to 12 and $45 for adults, with children under three free. The city's 2026 page doesn't list a public breakfast. La Palmera does show up in this year's plans in a different way, which brings us to the newest part of the day.
This year the city is choosing Mill Creek's first Royal Christmas Court. Its members will ride together in the Santa Parade. In the city's words:
"A little holiday magic and a new Mill Creek Christmas tradition is coming to the Holidays on Main: Santa's Coming to Town Center event this year!"
You apply by writing a letter, not filling out a form. The City of Mill Creek's event page asks applicants to answer three questions:
Court members ride in the parade on December 5, get a complimentary breakfast from La Palmera on parade day, and will have other chances to represent Mill Creek during the holiday season. You can mail letters to City Hall North, 15720 Main St., or drop them in the outdoor mailbox at City Hall South, 15728 Main St. Entries are due November 15, 2026. That's a little over three weeks from Thursday, October 22.
The lighting and parade have moved to the plazas, but City Hall still has a job in the season. The letters that decide who rides go there.
City Hall is also where the season's giving runs. Starting on Veterans Day, you can pick a gift tag from the Heroes' Café Giving Tree at City Hall North or South. The tags ask for items for veterans, such as socks, gloves, coats, hats, or gift cards for essentials. The city's Giving Tree page asks for gifts to be returned unwrapped by Monday, December 14, at City Hall North, 15720 Main St., or City Hall South, 15728 Main St. Heroes' Café volunteers deliver them for the holidays.
So the holiday season effectively starts on November 11. That day the city holds its Veterans Day Ceremony from 9 to 10 a.m. at the Veterans Monument in Library Park, 15429 Bothell Everett Hwy., followed by a parade from 11 a.m. to noon on southbound Main Street in Town Center. Giving Tree tags go up that same day, and gifts are due back nine days after the Santa Parade.
If your scout troop, car club, business, or decorated vehicle belongs in the lineup, Mill Creek Town Center accepts entries through its Santa Parade application. Entering is free. The Town Center invites businesses, organizations, community groups, and decorated vehicles. The form's categories include veteran and military organizations, floats, Snohomish County scouting and fraternal or service groups, musical and drill entries, static displays, municipal governments, antique and classic car clubs, and motorcycle clubs. Motorized entries must fill out a wheeled-entry section that includes driver's license and insurance acknowledgments.
Since the route now ends at Jewelry Source Plaza, the last stretch of the parade is where the 5 p.m. crowd will already be gathering.
The Mill Creek Chamber of Commerce has its Holiday Party on Thursday, December 10, from 5 to 8 p.m. at La Palmera, 15224 Main St. #202. Ticket details haven't been posted yet. Before then, the city's Winter City Chat runs on Wednesday, November 18, from 6 to 7 p.m. at Cogir Senior Living, 14905 Bothell Everett Hwy. It's open to the public, and no RSVP is needed.
From Veterans Day on November 11 to the Giving Tree deadline on December 14, nearly every December date on this list is on or near Main Street. The tree lighting is set for 5 p.m. on December 5 at Jewelry Source Plaza, right where the Santa Parade ends.
If you're mapping out a Mill Creek December or wondering how Town Center may change over the next few years, I'm always glad to talk through what's happening on Main Street. Jessica Gustelius works with neighbors across Mill Creek and Snohomish County, and Let's Connect whenever you're ready.
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