Update: Sonora Christmas Parade Street And Parking Impacts For Tonight

Sonora, CA – The 42nd Annual Historic Downtown Christmas Parade is tonight (Friday, November 28, 2025), and Sonora Police Department (SPD) officials want to ensure the public is aware of the travel impacts.

The event begins at 6 p.m. and is expected to last until 8:30 p.m. on Friday, November 28, 2025. It annually brings thousands of visitors to Sonora. Sonora Chamber of Commerce President Katie Dunn gives this preview. “We have 94 entries, and that includes Santa and Mrs. Claus, so we’re really super excited about the 42nd annual Christmas parade, and it should be a really good one. I’m now seeing, you know, people roping off areas for their chairs, which is such a fun tradition for downtown Sonora.”

SPD advises that drinking alcohol is strictly forbidden, and open containers are also not allowed during the parade. Additionally, all vendors must have a valid Intermittent Vendor Business License issued by the City of Sonora to sell their goods.

Those heading to the event are encouraged to arrive before 5 p.m. to allow ample time for parking. The Tuolumne County Transit will be offering free trolley services from the Junction Shopping Center to downtown Sonora from 3 p.m. until 9 p.m. The trolley will pick up passengers near TJ Maxx with the drop-off at Lyons and Shepherd streets, looping every 15-20 minutes. For more information regarding the schedule, click here or call 209-532-0404.

SPD provided these details regarding street closures and parking:

• Parade staging will be on School Street. Parade participants must access the staging area from Washington Street between 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Drop-offs for participants not driving vehicles will be in front of the Sonora High School Administration building at 430 North Washington St. (towards Shaws Flat Rd). Volunteers will be on-site to help with directions.
• Several streets will be closed before and during the parade, so residents, visitors, and parade participants should plan ahead. Detours will be posted to help navigate around the closures, ensuring safety and smooth traffic flow.

The full closure of the parade route commences at 5:30 p.m. and involves the following streets:

• Washington St. between SR 108 and Elkin St.
• Stockton St between the Downtown Plaza and Washington St.
• Restano Wy.

City personnel will begin closing most secondary streets at 3 p.m.:

• Westbound Mono Way traffic into downtown will be routed onto Stewart Street at Restano Way. Vehicle traffic seeking access to Stockton Road must use Highway 108 via the Mono Way onramp.
• Southbound Highway 49 traffic through Sonora will be diverted to southbound Stewart Street via Elkin Street.
• Motorists traveling eastbound on Stockton Road after the closures will be detoured at Forest Road. Anyone continuing eastbound on Stockton Road will be turned around before the Green Street intersection.
• Trucks traveling northbound or southbound on SR-49 should use Shaws Flat/Jamestown roads to bypass the event.
• Any large tractor-trailer-type vehicles attempting to travel through downtown Sonora will not be allowed to pass through the areas of southbound Washington Street (SR-49) at School Street, or eastbound Stockton Street at Green Street, or northbound Stewart Street to SR-49. Large vehicles will be stopped and may have to remain parked until the parade’s conclusion.
• Residents in the Tuolumne Street, Calaveras Street, Nevada Street, and Oregon Street areas can access their neighborhoods from Highway 108 via the South Washington Street closure.  Residents of the West Church Street area will be allowed access during the closure with proof of residency. Still, we encourage people to plan and avoid these areas during the event.
• No parking will be allowed on Washington Street from Hospital Road through Snell Street, along with portions of Stockton Road and secondary streets to the parade route.
• Special signs will be posted for “No Parking” zones, and any vehicles parked in these areas will be towed at the owner’s expense beginning at 3 p.m. on Friday, November 28, 2025.
• After the parade, the route will stay closed for about 20 minutes to allow spectators to leave safely. Expect heavy traffic, and please exercise patience and caution when traveling in the area to ensure everyone’s safety.