Lewisville's Holiday Stroll Goes Nautical This Year. How to Split Your Weekend Between Friday's Lights and Saturday's Parade

This year the holiday parade through Old Town Lewisville is asking for boats. The City of Lewisville's theme for the 2026 Holiday Stroll Parade is "Sailing into the Season," and its call for entries says it plainly: "Boats and watercraft encouraged!" Lewisville is already a lake town, and this December some of the lake is coming down to the streets around Wayne Ferguson Plaza.

The 2026 Holiday Stroll runs Friday, Dec. 4 and Saturday, Dec. 5 at Wayne Ferguson Plaza, 150 W. Church St., and the two days work as separate events with their own hours, crowds and high points. On Friday the tree lighting is the centerpiece of the evening, and on Saturday the parade closes out the morning. If you know which one you're going to, it's easier to plan where to park, when to eat and how long the kids will last.

Friday is a night out that peaks at 6:45

Friday's programming runs 5 to 9 p.m. on the plaza. All evening there's a Kids Market, food trucks, an Inflatable Winter Carnival, The Bike Zoo and free hot chocolate from DeLay Middle School. The timed events stack into one short stretch of the evening:

The table shows how the night is laid out. The Santa photos end at 6:30, the caroling starts at 6:30, and the lights come on 15 minutes after that. If seeing Santa and the tree lighting are both on your list, you'll want to be there close to 5 p.m. The hayrides keep going until 9, so they're the easiest thing to fit in after the lighting. The movie at 7 gives families with younger kids a natural point to settle in or head home.

Saturday is a morning that ends with the parade

Saturday runs 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and it starts with food. Breakfast with Santa opens at 9. Pancakes are served from 9 to 11 a.m. and hot dogs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tickets are $5 for a child, $8 for an adult and $25 for a family pack of two adults and four kids. Kids under 2 eat free, and tickets are sold online and at the door.

From 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the plaza has photo buttons with Santa, selfies with Mrs. Claus, a face painter, holiday crafts with the Visual Art League Lewisville, free hot chocolate presented by The Shepherd's House Church, a Polar Express Train, the Inflatable Winter Carnival and Pickles the Party Pony. Legacy Music Studio performs at 9:15, an Elf Scavenger Hunt at local businesses starts at 10, and Turning Pointe Dance Studio takes the stage at 10:15.

The parade steps off at 1 p.m., and the city's schedule says the event "ends at the conclusion of the parade." So the plaza activities wind down at 12:30, the hot dogs stop at 1, and then everyone turns toward the parade. For a family, a good Saturday probably looks like a late breakfast, the scavenger hunt, a spot on the curb by 12:45, and lunch somewhere on Main Street after the parade.

Why the floats will look different this year

The theme gives entrants specific instructions. The city wants entries that "creatively combine the spirit of the holiday season with the fun, beauty and character of life on the water," and every vehicle or float has to be decorated, as much as possible, to match. Businesses can put their logo or name on an entry, but they still have to follow the decoration guidelines.

This is also the first year the parade has new award categories with cash prizes. The Captain's Award pays $1,500 for the best overall entry, and Best Nautical Theme pays $1,000. There's also a third prize with a name made for a lake town, the "Most Likely to Make Santa Say AHOY Award," for the best mix of nautical creativity, holiday spirit, humor and entertainment value.

If your HOA, church group, scout troop or boat club has been thinking about entering, you'll need to move soon. The city began accepting applications in a release posted Oct. 30, 2026, and completed applications are due Monday, Nov. 30. The application and decoration guidelines are on the Holiday Stroll Parade page.

Where to leave the car

Old Town has more free parking than most people know about. The city's event parking page lists these lots and spaces, all free:

1. Street parking on Main, Charles, Mill and Church streets, as available
2. Lewisville City Hall, 151 W. Church St.
3. Public parking behind City Hall, 105 W. Walters St.
4. The former Visitor Information Center, 247 W. Main St., with access from the Baja Rita's parking lot
5. The Kealy public lot, on Kealy Street south of Main Street and Main Street Cafe
6. Main and Mill Apartments, first floor only, a parking garage with a 4-hour limit, at 100 E. Main St. with access on Mill Street
7. Main and Mill Apartments, first floor only, a parking garage with a 4-hour limit, at 127 S. Mill St. with access via Elm Street
8. North Point Church, 422 N. Mill St.
9. Shepherds House Church, 225 Milton

The Main and Mill garages have a 4-hour limit, which is plenty for Friday night. If you're doing the full Saturday from pancakes at 9 to the end of the parade, you'll be there about five hours, so the church lots or the lot behind City Hall are a better fit. Free bike parking is available at City Hall, at the former Visitor Information Center and at Wayne Ferguson Plaza. The city adds special event street closures to Waze, so check the app before you drive in.

After the parade, Main Street

The city ends its Saturday schedule by inviting people to stay. Its event page says to "Stick around Old Town Lewisville to take photos and enjoy local restaurants and shops." The official program ends at 2 p.m., which leaves the afternoon open for a meal on Main Street.

The Old Town Lewisville directory and events calendar list several places within a short walk of the plaza:

• Prairie House Restaurant, 119 E. Main St. Its happy hour is on Old Town's November 2026 events calendar.
• Ethel Janes, 306 W. Main St. It hosts Wine Down Mondays and Girl Dinner Wednesdays on the November 2026 calendar, so it's also an easy weeknight stop once the holiday weekend is over.
• Buffalo Hirsch, 206 W. Main St. The Dallas Observer covered its opening as a food truck park and bar in October 2025.
• Main Street Cafe, 208 E. Main St., next to the Kealy public lot.
• Jalisco Restaurant, 136 W. Main St.
• Arepas Street & La Chicheria Texas, 190 W. Main St. #108.

The Lewisville Grand Theater is one of the Stroll's sponsors, and it has had a busy fall too. Old Town's calendar shows the "Cross Timbers Artists' Guild" exhibition and a Visual Art League Lewisville art talk there in November.

The tree lighting sponsor is planning a project down the street

The Friday tree lighting is presented by DCTA, the Denton County Transportation Authority. The agency is also planning a bigger project in Old Town. The Denton Record-Chronicle reported that the DCTA board approved negotiating a nonbinding memorandum of understanding with Anchor Capital Partners for the Old Town Lewisville Transit-Oriented Development. DCTA, the city of Lewisville and Denton County announced the partnership in July 2025. It's meant to create a mixed-use district of offices, housing, retail, dining and public space within walking distance of the A-train platform.

The plans for the $40 million project include a new three-story DCTA headquarters with office space, a waiting area and a retail and restaurant area. They also include a covered plaza, parking for buses, cars and rideshare vehicles, and a "kiss and ride" drop-off and pickup area. DCTA CEO Paul Cristina told the paper the agency is working to finalize a Master Developer Agreement. The project is still in the planning stage, and this December the space around Wayne Ferguson Plaza belongs to the hayrides, the hot chocolate and the boats.

To see the floats close up on Saturday, Dec. 5, get to Old Town early. If you're entering one, the deadline is Monday, Nov. 30. Our team at The Monarch Team loves being part of Lewisville's holiday season, and if you have questions about life in and around Old Town, we're happy to talk anytime. See Listings or Contact Us for a Free Home Consultation.