DeSoto Grand Parade

The Parade begins at 7:30 PM and ends when the parade has passed. The parade will stage on Manatee Avenue between 1st Street and 9th Street West. This nine-block section of Manatee Avenue will close at 12:00 PM on parade day, with westbound Manatee Avenue traffic rerouted around the parade staging area via 9th Avenue W. Eastbound traffic will not be affected. The remainder of Manatee Avenue from 9th Street W to 43rd Street W will close at 5:00 pm to enable crowd protection barricades to be placed along the 1.75-mile route. The northbound lanes of the Green Bridge heading to Palmetto will remain open during the parade. The southbound lanes will close roughly one hour before the parade starts. Third Avenue West and Ninth Avenue West will remain open throughout the parade. This route greatly improves traffic flow into and out of the downtown area during and after the parade. Several roadways that were closed in previous years, now remain open, allowing traffic to freely move into and out of downtown, even during the parade.