The Exchange Club of Fontana is excited to present the Fontana Days Parade on
May 2, 2026!
We invite schools, businesses, clubs, non-profits, and government officials to participate in this beloved community event. This is your chance to showcase your organization and join the celebration of Fontana’s vibrant spirit. Simply fill out the form below to sign up. For everyone else, come out and enjoy the parade. “Pre-Show” kicks off at 9:30am then the parade at 10am. This special event is proudly co-sponsored by the great city of Fontana.
The Fontana Exchange Club, co-sponsors with the City of Fontana of the annual FontanaDays parade, are pleased to announce our 2026 Fontana Days parade theme,
“HOME OF THE FREE…BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE: AMERICA 250,”
honoring the men and women who “wore the uniform” and served in the armed forces by inviting them to ride in this year’s parade and serve as co-grand marshals.
Exchange Club Americanism chairperson Bill Freeman said, “This year, the Exchange Club’s plans to celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday includes inviting ALL veterans fromthe area, not just Fontana, to serve as co-grand marshals of the parade and to ride in a place of honor at the beginning of the parade. We will also have a short ceremony honoring the vets preceding the start of the parade. We want to emphasize that ALL veterans who live anywhere in our region are invited to participate.
Festivities will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 2nd at the corner of Sierra and Arrow Blvd with a short ceremony honoring our vets. The parade starts at 10 a.m. and will conclude at 11 a.m.
VETERANS WHO WISH TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PARADE AS CO-GRAND MARSHALSMUST CALL OR TEXT BILL FREEMAN AT 951-505-4114 OR EMAIL HIM AT billfreeman68@yahoo.com AS BY APRIL 10TH SO THAT ADEQUATE TIME IS ALLOWED TO PROVIDE VEHICLES FOR VETS IN THE PARADE.
One of the basic tenets of the National Exchange Club is to celebrate America and support our veterans. This year’s parade serves to honor that pledge and will also include high school cadets carrying 2X3 foot placards with the photos of the 60 men with Fontana connections who either died while in the service to their country or who were POW’s in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and the Global War on Terror.
- Check in is between 7:30am and 9:30am in front of the Fontana Chamber of Commerce 8491 Sierra Ave.
- “Pre-Show starts at 9:30am between Sierra and Arrow honoring our grand marshal.
- 10am we start the parade.
Start at Arrow Blvd and Sierra Ave. The parade heads SOUTH on Sierra Ave making a turn EAST on Orange Way, NORTH on Mango Ave, WEST back on Arrow Blvd, ending at Miller Park.
To help with flow of parade, you may continue heading NORTH on Mango, passing Arrow, with no intention of stopping.
The Fontana Days Parade Battle of the Bands competition highlights the excitement and spirit of marching bands performing live along the parade route. Eligible bands must be affiliated with a school or registered nonprofit and include at least 10 members and one adult supervisor. Bands will be judged during the first 30 seconds in the official judging zone between Sierra Avenue and Orange Way, so performances should be planned to make a strong impact in that window. All music must be performed live—no pre-recorded tracks are allowed—and bands must continue moving throughout the parade. Judging will focus on musical quality, showmanship, connection to the America 250 theme, and crowd engagement.
The Fontana Days Parade City Street Dance Off invites school-affiliated dance teams and registered nonprofit groups to showcase their energy, choreography, and creativity during the parade. Teams must have at least five performers and one adult supervisor, and must be able to perform while continuously moving along the parade route. Performances will be judged during the first 30 seconds in the official judging area between Sierra Avenue and Orange Way, so teams should plan their strongest choreography for that moment. Costumes, music, and movements must be family-friendly, and sound must come from a portable speaker carried or mounted on the team. Judges will evaluate theme representation, showmanship, choreography, and crowd appeal.
The Best in Float competition celebrates the creativity and craftsmanship of parade floats designed by schools, businesses, community organizations, and nonprofits. Floats should clearly reflect the 2026 theme, “Home of the Free, Because of the Brave: America 250,” through decorations, costumes, and overall presentation. Entries must be safely constructed, parade-ready, and able to move continuously along the route with decorations securely attached. Floats will be judged while passing through the official judging area between Sierra Avenue and Orange Way, based on theme representation, design quality, creativity, and overall parade appeal.
We strongly encourage collaborative entries between local businesses and school clubs or nonprofit (501(c)(3)) youth organizations. This is a great opportunity for businesses to partner with youth groups to help build floats, promote community pride, and support youth engagement in our city.
*Float Competition requires a minimum of five (5) participating floats. In the event that this minimum is not reached, the competition will not be held.