Downtown Salem’s Holiday Parade rolls back into town on Friday, November 28, and the city’s biggest dose of cheer needs a small army of helpers to make it happen. If you’ve ever wanted a front-row role in a community tradition, this is your moment.
Behind every marching band and glittered float are volunteers who keep the parade moving and the lights twinkling. Some help with staging and set-up in the afternoon. Others guide entries along the route, answer questions, or lend quick muscle where it’s needed.
But the sparkle doesn’t start on parade night; it starts on the weekends leading up to it. Crews will be out on Saturdays and Sundays in November hanging lights across downtown from 8 a.m. to noon. Bring a friend, dress for the weather, and help turn our streets into a festive walkway for neighbors, shoppers, and parade-goers alike. A few hours with a ladder and a light strand go a long way.
Want to pitch in?
You can sign up to volunteer behind the scenes or even participate in the parade itself, walk with a group, wrangle a character, or help with a float. However you show up, you’ll be part of the team that sets the tone for Salem’s holiday season.
How to Help
Volunteer behind the scenes (parade night): roles include staging, guiding entries, route support, and general set-up/tear-down. Click here to sign up as a parade volunteer.
Help decorate downtown (weekends in November): light-hanging shifts run Saturdays & Sundays, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Click here to help decorate downtown Salem
Join the parade: sign up to participate as a walker or with a float. Click here to sign up to participate in the parade
Parade Details
Date: Friday, November 28, 2025
Time: 5:30–7:30 p.m. (staging begins at 3:30 p.m.)
Info: salemmainstreetassociation.org/holiday-events/holiday-parade/
Downtown Salem Holiday Parade Map
Bring your warm layers, your best wave, and that Salem spirit. Let’s make downtown shine.
Questions? Reach out to downtownsalemholidayparade@gmail.com