Florida Citrus Parade

The Florida Citrus Parade is one of the largest sports affiliated parades in the United States. It is held every year in Orlando, Florida. The event celebrates the holiday season and two annual college football bowl games: the Russell Athletic Bowl and the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl.

The first parade was held in 1980. It was originally named the Florida Power Super Holiday Parade. Since then, it has become one of the most famous holiday parades in the United States. The parade is planned and produced by the Florida Citrus Sports Foundation. It is part of the annual Orlando Bowl Week which takes place during the last week in December. It is scheduled in between two college football games.

Today, the Florida Citrus Parade is one of the most anticipated events in Orlando and a major highlight in Florida’s holiday calendar. The event is best known for its signature floats made of citrus fruits. They are decorated with oranges, tangerines and grapefruits in a similar style to the Menton Lemon Festival in France. The floats are also similar to those participating in the annual Rose Parade in Pasadena, California. The only difference is that they are decorated with citrus fruits instead of flower petals. The citrus floats are made by more than 600 volunteers.

In addition to its unique floats, the Florida Citrus Parade features high school marching bands from all over the country, participating bowl game college marching bands, theme park characters from Universal Orlando and Walt Disney World, local and national celebrities, specialty units and other exciting performances.

About 3,000 participants flood the streets of downtown Orlando to spread holiday cheer, attracting over 50,000 spectators. The parade route is 1.4 miles long. It begins on Orange Avenue and Robinson Street, continues south on Orange Avenue, turns east on Anderson Street, then north on Rosalind Avenue. The finishing point of the parade is located at Rosalind Avenue and Robinson Street. It usually takes 1.5-2 hours for all units to complete the route.

The parade is broadcast in over 75% of the television markets in the United States during the New Year’s Day holiday. It can be seen internationally in Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Distribution is handled by the TVS Television Network.