# 40th Annual Grand Illumination Parade > Event for families in the Virginia Beach–Chesapeake–Norfolk area (VA / NC). Times are Eastern Time. - When: Sat, Nov 21 · 7:00 PM - Where: Downtown Norfolk parade route, St. Paul's Blvd & E Main St, Norfolk, VA 23510 - Ages: All ages - Price: Free and open to the public - Organizer: Downtown Norfolk Council - Official page: https://www.downtownnorfolk.org/explore/grand-illumination-parade - Last checked: Sat, Oct 24 Source: Grassy Knees is a directory of real family events, places and programs for kids across major U.S. metro areas, where every listing is researched from the organizer’s own page and shows the date we last checked it. https://grassyknees.com covers 42 metro areas as of Oct 24, 2026, with more added regularly. About: https://grassyknees.com/about Freshness: listings are re-checked on a daily research run (latest check 2026-10-24), and new events are added as organizers post them. Sell-outs, weather cancellations and time changes show up on the live page first: https://grassyknees.com/virginia-beach/activities/40th-annual-grand-illumination-parade--listing-27237b13a306736834361431 ## About Downtown Norfolk's holiday parade, held each year on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, marks its 40th year with the theme Ruby Radiance. At 7 pm a synchronized countdown lights up the downtown skyline and the parade sets off on a two-mile route: from St. Paul's Boulevard and Main Street along Main to Granby Street, north on Granby, west on Freemason, south on Boush, ending on Waterside Drive. Floats, bands and lighted units take about an hour to pass any one spot. It is free, and families may bring chairs but must stay with their belongings. Food vendors line the route, portable restrooms are available, and all viewing areas are ADA accessible. Streets begin closing around 5 pm and traffic is heavy, so arriving early or taking the Tide light rail or the ferry is recommended. ## Similar picks in Virginia Beach - [Holiday Parade at the Beach](https://grassyknees.com/virginia-beach/activities/holiday-parade-at-the-beach--listing-5972e5b77b9ac25473df5409) — Sat, Dec 5 · 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM · Atlantic Avenue, 15th to 25th Streets · All ages · Free · checked Oct 24. Virginia Beach's evening holiday parade on Atlantic Avenue at the Oceanfront. About 90 parade units travel north from 15th Street to 25th Street: giant balloons, marching bands… - [Holiday Trail of Lights at the Virginia Aquarium](https://grassyknees.com/virginia-beach/activities/holiday-trail-of-lights-at-the-virginia-aquarium--listing-726f9c320c4aecfc08326a8b) — Nov 20 – Jan 3 · 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM · Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center · All ages · From $12 · checked Oct 24. 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