Last year, the holiday tree at Broadway Square was lit on a Tuesday, four days before the Xcel Energy Holiday Lights Parade. This year the Fargo Park District has moved its Holiday Tree Lighting to Saturday, December 5, the same night as the parade. The Park District describes it as "one extra-magical night" built from two separate traditions.
That changes how the night works. The square's activities begin at 5:00 p.m., the tree is lit at 6:00, and the parade steps off at 6:30. A family that shows up at 6:30 for a spot on the curb has missed the countdown, the cocoa and the free skate rentals.
Two nights on the calendar are now one
The tree lighting has had several different dates. In 2024 the Park District lit its 32-foot tree on Tuesday, November 26, with horse-drawn carriage rides, live holiday music, reindeer and s'mores kits. In 2025 the Park District rescheduled the lighting to Tuesday, December 2, and the SCHEELS Skating Rink opened for the season the same night. The parade was held four days after that, on Saturday, December 6, 2025, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
| Year | Tree lighting | Holiday Lights Parade |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Tuesday, Dec. 2 | Saturday, Dec. 6 |
| 2026 | Saturday, Dec. 5, 6:00 p.m. countdown | Saturday, Dec. 5, 6:30 p.m. |
Moving the lighting to a Saturday also helps with timing. The tree now goes on 30 minutes before a parade that ends on the same street.
December 5, hour by hour
The Fargo Park District's event page and the Downtown Community Partnership's parade listing together lay out the evening:
- 5:00 p.m. Broadway Square opens for the celebration. Silver Linings is serving hot chocolate and has provided 1,000 s'mores kits for the s'mores stations. There's also a holiday keychain craft and a table for making holiday floral bundles. Weather permitting, the SCHEELS Skating Rink is open with free skate rentals from the Fargo Park District until 8:00 p.m.
- 6:00 p.m. Santa and Mrs. Claus lead the countdown that lights the Broadway Square tree. The lighting officially kicks off the parade.
- 6:30 p.m. The Xcel Energy Holiday Lights Parade begins in Moorhead. The Downtown Community Partnership says it features "dozens" of entries.
- 8:00 p.m. Square activities and free skate rentals wrap up.
- 8:30 p.m. The parade's scheduled window ends.
Luther Family Ford sponsors the tree lighting, and the Park District credits that sponsorship with keeping the evening free. Xcel Energy sponsors the parade, and the Downtown Community Partnership hosts it. Businesses and groups that want to enter a float must register by Wednesday, December 2, at 5:00 p.m. Participant lineup is set for 5:00 p.m. on parade day.
Where to watch once the tree is lit
The parade crosses the river and passes the square in its final blocks. Fargo Mom's 2026 parade guide gives the route. It starts at 6th Street and Center Avenue in Moorhead, just east of the Moorhead SCHEELS, follows Center Avenue and then NP Avenue in Fargo, and turns north on Broadway to end at 4th Avenue North. Broadway Square is at 201 Broadway North, so the last blocks of the route pass the tree lit half an hour earlier.
The same guide suggests three viewing areas:
- Center Avenue, Moorhead, by SCHEELS and the old Moorhead Center Mall south entrance. This is near the start of the route.
- NP Avenue, Fargo, near Vogel Law Firm or the Title Company.
- Broadway, Fargo, anywhere between Blarney Stone and The HoDo up to the Fargo Theatre.
The Broadway stretch is the only one where the square's 5:00 activities and the parade happen within a short walk of each other. If you watch from the Moorhead end, you'll see the parade sooner, but you'll be across the river from the tree lighting. The Downtown Community Partnership posts final details on its parade page, so check it before you go.
Getting downtown before 5:00
Because the evening now starts earlier, it helps to know last year's parking plan. For the 2025 parade, the City of Fargo banned parking from 4:00 to 9:00 p.m. on NP Avenue between the Red River and Broadway, on Broadway from NP Avenue to 4th Avenue North, and on 4th Avenue North from Broadway to 5th Street North. Vehicles left there were subject to towing after 4:00 p.m. The city pointed parade-goers to its parking ramps and downtown surface lots, with free parking at select locations after 5:00 p.m. and on weekends.
On the Moorhead side, KFGO's 2025 coverage listed parking at Moorhead City Hall, the FM Center, and the lot north of the Center Avenue bridge between 3rd and 4th Streets North. These were last year's arrangements. Last year the restrictions started at 4:00 p.m., an hour before the square opened. If 2026 follows the same plan, park in a ramp or lot rather than on the route.
The 16 days that build toward that Saturday
December 5 also closes out a 16-day stretch that starts on Friday, November 20.
That day, Folkways opens Christkindlmarkt at the Fargo Civic Center, 207 4th Street North. It runs two weekends, November 20 to 22 and November 27 to 29, from noon to 9:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and noon to 6:00 p.m. on Sundays. The market includes an Outdoor Winter Wonderland, a Gift Market, a Bier Hall with Drekker Brewing Company, live music, art demonstrations and kids' activities.
Window Wonderland also starts that night. Downtown businesses decorate their storefronts, and the public votes on the displays from November 20 through the night of the parade. Voting closes on parade night, so the walk from Broadway Square to your viewing spot on December 5 is also your last chance to see the windows before voting ends. The Christkindlmarkt site at the Civic Center is on 4th Street North, a few blocks from where the parade ends at Broadway and 4th Avenue North.
| Date | Downtown event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Fri., Nov. 20 | Christkindlmarkt opens; Window Wonderland voting begins | Fargo Civic Center; downtown storefronts |
| Nov. 27 to 29 | Christkindlmarkt's second weekend | Fargo Civic Center |
| Wed., Dec. 2, 5:00 p.m. | Parade entry registration closes | Downtown Community Partnership |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Tree lighting, free skate rentals, parade; Window Wonderland voting ends | Broadway Square and the parade route |
| Sun., Dec. 13 | Brewhalla Very Merry Holiday Craft Market | The Odditorium and Magic Factory at Brewhalla |
After the parade, the rink and one more market
The SCHEELS Skating Rink at Broadway Square normally runs from late November through March, weather permitting. Skating is free, and skate rental is $5. The Skate Shack is generally open 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. on weekdays and noon to 8:00 p.m. on weekends. Its holiday schedule closes the rink December 24 and 25, then runs noon to 8:00 p.m. from December 26 through January 2. On parade night, skate rentals are free from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., which saves the usual $5 rental fee.
One more downtown market follows eight days after parade night. Drekker and Unglued present the Brewhalla Very Merry Holiday Craft Market on Sunday, December 13, from noon to 6:00 p.m. at the Odditorium and Magic Factory at Brewhalla. Admission is free.
If you live close enough to walk to Broadway Square, December 5 is a short walk this year. If you're wondering what that walkability adds to your home's value, I'm happy to help. Tyler Bretz offers a free home valuation that looks at what's down the street as well as the house itself, including evenings like this one.
