Updated August 24, 2026
The 77th edition of the parade will begin at 9 a.m. in downtown Houston. The route, street closures, the artists, and the sale of reserved seats have not yet been published.
The H-E-B Thanksgiving Day Parade will return to downtown Houston on Thursday, November 26, 2026. The celebration will begin at 9 a.m., Central Time, during Thanksgiving morning.
This will be the 77th edition of one of the city’s oldest festive traditions. The parade brings together every year floats, balloons and performances on the streets of downtown Houston.
Image from the 2025 edition. Photo: Mayor John Whitmire/Facebook
The 77th edition will begin at 9 a.m. in downtown Houston
The parade is scheduled for the morning of Thursday, November 26, 2026. Although the overall venue will be downtown Houston, the exact starting point and the 2026 route have not yet been published.
- Date: Thursday, November 26, 2026
- Time: 9 a.m., Central Time
- Area: downtown Houston
- Edition: 77nd annual parade
- Contact: 832-393-0868 or [email protected]
Street closures and reopening times are also not available for this edition. The 2025 calendar no longer applies to the November 2026 event.
Artists and grand marshals remain pending
The list of artists, bands, floats, grand marshals and other participants will be announced later. For that reason, the names that participated in 2025 do not form part of the confirmed lineup for this year.
The sale of reserved seats has not yet begun either. The link and the prices will appear when the city enables reservations. News about participants, routes, closures and seats will be available on the H-E-B Thanksgiving Day Parade 2026 calendar.
The Houston parade began in 1949
The first edition was held in 1949. Santa Claus arrived then at Union Station and rode through the downtown area in a sleigh to Foley’s on Main Street.
Over the years, the celebration incorporated floats, balloons, school bands and performances by local artists. Today, the parade remains one of the public events that mark the start of the festive season in Houston.
Meal preparation also concentrates particular risks on the date. This note gathers measures to reduce kitchen-related fires during Thanksgiving.
As of August 24, the parade remains scheduled for Thursday, November 26, 2026 at 9 a.m. The route, closures, participants and the sale of reserved seats are still pending.
