Downtown Auburn's holiday season runs in two places this year. Main Street still has the two big parades, the tree lighting, and the art center. The ticketed holiday concerts are booked elsewhere, at Green River College and the Auburn Performing Arts Center on 4th Street NE. That split will last until the new Auburn Avenue Theater opens at Auburn Avenue and Main, which the City expects in mid-2027.
So before you plan a night out this November or December, decide whether you're after a parade spot on Main Street or a ticketed seat across town.
The corner that's out of the season
The City is building a new 9,960-square-foot, 300-seat theater in the downtown core. The old Auburn Avenue Theater was structurally damaged at the end of 2021, condemned in January 2022, and demolished in 2024. According to the City's Downtown Infrastructure and Theater Project page, the contractor was picked and construction began in April and May 2026, and the theater and an adjacent park are both scheduled for completion in mid-2027.
That park will take up 16,000 square feet at the former 125 E. Main Street property. The plan includes a central lawn and a large City-commissioned art installation called The Gathering Tree, and the park will link B Street Plaza across Main Street to the Postmark Center for the Arts. Until then, the block is a construction site, and the City is asking the public to help name the park through an online survey.
Saturday, November 7 starts before sunrise
The street events go ahead regardless, and the biggest one is this weekend. Auburn's 61st Annual Veterans Parade & Observance is Saturday, November 7. The City has hosted the parade since 1965, and the Veterans Day National Committee and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs have named Auburn a Regional Site for the 2026 Veterans Day celebration. The City says the parade usually has more than 120 units and nearly 4,000 participants, including more than 10 marching bands.
The parade lasts about three hours, but the day runs from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Here's the morning in order:
- 7 to 9 a.m.: Community breakfast at the Auburn Senior Activity Center, 808 Ninth Street SE, $12 per person.
- 9:45 to 10:15 a.m.: Remembrance Ceremony and Lighting of the Flame at Veterans Memorial Park, 411 E Street NE.
- 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.: The parade heads west on Main Street from E Street to A Street NW/SW.
The westbound route passes the theater site on its way toward City Hall. The City's street closure and detour notice lists several closure windows that day, starting as early as 5:30 a.m. and running as late as 11 p.m. Traffic along the route itself closes at 10:30 a.m. until the parade ends. For parking, the City's parade FAQ recommends the Transit Center Parking Garage, one block from the end of the route on A Street, or street parking west of Auburn Way.
December 5 is downtown's busiest day of the season
The theater site doesn't change the Lighted Santa Parade's route either. But that Saturday shows most clearly which downtown building is filling in this year. The Postmark Center for the Arts at 20 Auburn Avenue is next to the theater project, and the new theater is designed to connect visually to Postmark and an Arts Alley to the north. On December 5, Postmark has events running for most of the afternoon before the parade.
Here's how the day runs, from the City's special events page and Postmark's event calendar:
- Noon to 4 p.m.: Holiday Art Market at Postmark, with handmade gifts and live music.
- 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.: Santa Parade Cookies, Cocoa, and Craft in Postmark's Lower Level Art Studios. Drop in anytime in that window. It's $5 for ages 5 and up, and everyone has to register ahead.
- 3:30 p.m.: Parade lineup starts at Auburn High School.
- 4 p.m.: Free live music at City Hall.
- 4:30 p.m.: The parade starts at Auburn High School and heads west on East Main Street, then loops around City Hall.
- After the parade: Tree lighting and a visit from Santa in front of City Hall, followed by more live music.
Every entry needs a lighted element, and groups that want to march have to register by 5 p.m. Friday, November 20. The City is also taking nominations for Santa's Helper. One child between 5 and 9 who lives inside Auburn city limits will be chosen at random to light the tree.
The December street closure notice was still listed as "coming soon" on the City's page in late October. Check it closer to the date before deciding where to park.
The ticketed shows are on two other stages
On Main Street, December 5 brings free live music at City Hall before and after the parade. For a seated concert, the City's 2026-27 theater calendar puts every December concert at one of two venues, neither of them on Main Street:
| Date | Show | Venue | Tickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun., Dec. 6, 2 p.m. | Red, White & Blue holiday concert, America's First Corps Army Band | Auburn Performing Arts Center, 702 4th St NE | Free, ticket required, limit 6 per family |
| Sat., Dec. 12, 7:30 p.m. | A Very Sinatra Christmas with Joey Jewell | Green River College Student Affairs Building, 12401 SE 320th St | $27, $24 student/senior |
| Fri., Dec. 18, 7:30 p.m. | An Only Yesterday Christmas, presented by Amy Daves | Green River College Student Affairs Building | $27, $24 student/senior |
| Sat., Dec. 19, 7:30 p.m. | An Elvis Family Christmas with Danny Vernon & The DeVilles | Green River College Student Affairs Building | $27, $24 student/senior |
The Army band concert is the one to plan ahead for. The City calls it an annual free tradition, and tickets have been available since November 1 online or at the Auburn Community & Event Center. It's also the day after the Santa Parade, so families can do both events on one weekend, Saturday downtown and Sunday on 4th Street NE.
The college stage gets started before December. Whiskey River, a Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute band, plays the Student Affairs Building on Saturday, November 21, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $27, or $24 for students and seniors.
The museum covers the weekdays
The parades and the concerts fall almost entirely on weekends. Most of the weekday programming is at the White River Valley Museum, 918 H Street SE, a short drive south of Main Street.
Tonight, Thursday, November 5, Muckleshoot artist, speaker, and former tribal leader John Halliday presents "Beyond Treaties: Native Stories of Survival and Strength" from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The program combines drumming, flute music, and painting. It's free, but you need to RSVP. On Wednesday, November 11, the museum's Veterans Day Family Day marks both Veterans Day and Native American Heritage Month, with Indigenous foods and traditions plus a chance to learn about military medics. It starts at noon and is free. The event page lists both 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. as the end time, so if you're planning to go later in the afternoon, call ahead.
On Wednesday, November 18, the museum opens this year's Festival of Trees, themed around holiday movies as "Feature Flix," with a free opening reception and holiday bake sale from noon to 5 p.m. Museum staff and volunteers do the baking, and all proceeds go to the Auburn Food Bank. The museum asks visitors to RSVP. For the exhibit's hours after opening day, check the museum's listing before you go.
Eating along the route
On both parade days, the closest food is right on the route. The City's downtown restaurant directory lists several places within a block of Main Street:
- Pie Style Bakery, 20 W Main St, across the street from City Hall and the tree lighting
- Gosanko Chocolate, 1 E Main St #170
- Rainbow Cafe, 112 E Main St, close to the theater site
- Oddfellas Pub & Eatery, 102 W Main St
- PNW Coffee Co., 110 2nd St SW #130, a block off the route and close to the Transit Center garage
On December 5, Pie Style's spot matters most. The parade loops around City Hall and the tree lighting happens in front of it, so the bakery is right at the end of the route. Hours can change on parade days, so check with the business before you go.
If you're curious how the new theater and park might change downtown Auburn once they open in 2027, the team at Perkins & Associates | Joe Perkins keeps track of these changes across South King County and is glad to talk them through. When you'd like to know what your own home is worth, start with a free home valuation.
