Parade Participation

If it’s been more than 3 days since you applied and you haven’t received a confirmation email:

• Check your spam/junk folder.
• If you still don’t see anything, email the Entries Team at:[email protected]

Note: If your email address was entered incorrectly on the JotForm application, you will not receive a response.

You will receive your zone assignment and check-in time once the parade lineup is finalized (typically 1 week before the parade).

However, here are general timing guidelines:

General Parade Day Info:

• Entries Booth Opens: 7:00 AM
• Last Check-In Time: 9:45 AM
• Booth Closes: 10:00 AM sharp

Staging Group Check-In Times:

• Zones 1–4: 7:30 AM – 8:45 AM
• Zones 5–6: 8:30 AM – 9:45 AM

Note for School Bands and Equestrian Groups:
You must arrive before 8:30 AM due to special staging in the Marston Loop (Balboa Dr.).

Final Accepted Entries List: Posted one week after the application deadline (February 17).

Parade Lineup: Released via email and on the ICSC website one week before the parade to allow for any final route adjustments.

• Parking passes are not issued to general parade entries.
• Passes are reserved for Dignitaries or entries with special permission from the Entry Committee Chair.
• General parking is available on nearby streets or public lots outside the parade route.
• Parking & Shuttle Map
• Free trolley shuttles are available from Balboa Park parking areas.
• Shuttle Info

Street Closures (6 AM – 3 PM):
Hawthorne to Upas (between 5th & 6th Ave) + Balboa Dr. and surrounding cross streets.

We reserve space in the Marston Loop (Balboa Dr.) in Balboa Park.

Specific instructions will be sent to bus and trailer groups in late February to early March.

Yes, you may submit a request, but we cannot guarantee placement together. We do our best to accommodate pairing and proximity where logistically possible.

You may make a special request, but final placement depends on:

• Group type (e.g., animals, bands, vehicles)
• Safety/staging logistics
• Spacing needs

Example: We try to avoid placing walking groups directly behind horses or loud vehicles, but last-minute changes (such as cancellations) may alter final positions.

Check-in is located at the Entries Table at 6th Ave & Juniper St.

• One representative from your group must check in and collect your Entry Number.
• This number must be clearly visible on the FRONT of your lead vehicle or lead marcher.
• Bring tape, string, or safety pins to attach your number.
• Maps and staging help will be available at check-in.

Yes, the best drop-off areas are:

• Corner of 5th Ave & Fir St (parade closure border)
• 4th Avenue as an alternate

Let event personnel know you are dropping off parade participants so they can assist

Please do not contact the Entries Team for individual numbers.
Your group leader or contact person will receive all information directly and is responsible for sharing it with the rest of the group.

Help us stay organized by going through your group coordinator first!

Special Event Guidelines
Parade and Float Requirements

A float is a unit specifically designed or constructed for use in conjunction with a parade
or public gathering. A parade vehicle is a self‐propelled wheeled conveyance not
running on rails used in conjunction with a parade or public gathering. Any decorated
float or vehicle must be inspected by the Fire Marshal prior to the start of the parade or its
usage for any other activity. The following information has been developed to provide you with
the minimum regulations for the operation of a float and/or parade vehicle:

Float/Parade Vehicle Requirements

• Participants on a float are not permitted to throw, toss or drop objects from the float to the crowd.
• All decorative materials used must be fire resistant or flame retardant.
• All motorized apparatus must have a fire extinguisher with a minimum UL rating of 2‐A‐10B: C that is accessible to the operator.
• All engines must be cleaned prior to use to prevent overheating and to reduce fire hazards.
• All engines must be equipped with an air cleaner or flame arrester.
• No smoking is permitted on floats and parade vehicles.
• No open flames are permitted on floats and/or parade vehicles.
• No flammable or combustible liquids are permitted on floats and parade vehicles.
• All exhaust pipes must be leak‐free and insulated from float and vehicle decorations.
• If a gasoline‐powered electrical generator is used and is located on the float (rather than on a trailer), a second 2‐A‐10B: C extinguisher must be located near the generator.
• Side rails/barriers or other approved restraints are required to prevent a person and/or objects from falling off a float and/or parade vehicle

Driver Requirements

• All drivers must have a valid driver’s license.
• If enclosed, a driver and all passengers must have a minimum of two escape routes.
• The driver’s compartment must be properly ventilated to prevent accumulation of exhaust fumes such as carbon monoxide.

_{City of San Diego  •  Special Event Guidelines  •  OSE 1.10.1}