Where do you stand for the Fontana Christmas Parade? For years most people would have said Miller Park. The festival is there, the food is there, and the parade finishes there. On Saturday, December 12, 2026, the other end of the route has its own reason to show up early. Bring a new, unwrapped toy, because the Exchange Club of Fontana is running its First Annual Toy Drive at the corner where the floats start rolling.
That gives the parade two ends with two different jobs. The Sierra Avenue end, next to the Fontana Chamber of Commerce and Stage Red, is now where you give. The Miller Park end on Arrow Boulevard is still where you celebrate. The 2.2-mile loop between them is long enough that you can't do both from the same curb. Here's how this December lines up from either end, starting with the Thursday night that opens the season.
A route that doubled and turned into a loop
The parade hasn't always covered this much ground. The Exchange Club's 2024 announcement described a route of about one mile, from Sierra Avenue and Arrow Boulevard south on Sierra and east to Miller Park, under an "Ugly Sweater" theme. By 2025 the City of Fontana's calendar showed a longer loop: south on Sierra to Orange Way, east to Mango Avenue, north to Arrow Boulevard, and back to the Festival of Winter at Miller Park.
The 2026 parade keeps that loop, which the Exchange Club puts at about 2.2 miles. Each year has also brought something extra to the day:
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, Dec. 14 | Saturday, Dec. 13 | Saturday, Dec. 12 |
| Theme | Ugly Sweater | I Believe in Magic | Toys in Action |
| Route | About one mile, Sierra south, then east to Miller Park | Sierra, Orange Way, Mango, Arrow loop to Miller Park | Same loop, about 2.2 miles |
| Added to the day | Festival of Winter at Miller Park after the parade | First-ever Battle of the Bands | First Annual Toy Drive at the starting corner |
The 2025 parade had another change too. It was dedicated to Joseph "Randy" Binks, the parade's longtime announcer and MC, and his son, Captain Brian Binks of the Fontana Police Department, took over the microphone, according to the Exchange Club's 2025 announcement. The same post called the parade "historic." That's a fair word for an event the Exchange Club presents and the City of Fontana co-sponsors.
A longer loop means more curb, and more curb means the start and the finish feel like separate places. The Sierra Avenue end shows that best.
The building beside the starting corner
The Toy Drive drop-off is at a spot the Exchange Club calls "The Alley," between Stage Red and the Fontana Chamber of Commerce at 8491 Sierra Ave. The Chamber is also where parade groups check in that morning. Stage Red, at 8463 Sierra Avenue, is the building next door, and it has been a lot of things over the years.
The Fontana Herald News traced its history like this:
- It was built in 1937 as a one-screen movie theater.
- It closed as a theater in the 1950s and was later used as a church.
- In the 1970s, Hank Mizysak bought the building and turned it into a roller skating rink where local bands also played.
- It became Center Stage Theater.
- After a renovation, it was renamed Stage Red in honor of rock star Sammy Hagar, with a debut scheduled for June 15.
The Fontana Chamber's member listing adds that the City acquired the historic theater in 2003 and restored it over five years. Mary Crull, Mizysak's daughter, told the Herald News she could barely recognize the place after the renovation. "It's absolutely gorgeous," she said in the Herald News story.
So the building that once kept Fontana teenagers busy on skates now stands next to a drop-off for toys going to local kids. That's a good reason to spend part of December 12 at the Sierra Avenue end.
What the Toy Drive asks for
The Exchange Club's request is short.
- What to bring: a new, unwrapped toy. One is fine, and so is a whole bag.
- Where to drop it: The Alley, between Stage Red and the Fontana Chamber of Commerce on Sierra Avenue.
- When: parade morning, Saturday, December 12.
- Who it's for: local children and families this holiday season.
The parade theme fits the drive. "Toys in Action" promises marching toy soldiers, dancing teddy bears, rolling trains and other childhood toys coming to life along the route.
If you own a Fontana business, the Exchange Club's sponsorship deadline is Saturday, November 21, nine days after this post goes up. A donation of at least $100 includes one ticket to the North Pole VIP Lounge, and higher tiers include lounge invitations for more people. The club says sponsorships pay for holiday decorations along the route, parade operations, volunteer support and giveaways for spectators.
The other end of the loop, and the Thursday that comes first
Miller Park hosts the holiday season twice in ten days.
Thursday, December 3: Tree Lighting Ceremony. The City of Fontana lists it from 6 to 8 p.m. at Miller Park Amphitheater, 17004 Arrow Blvd. Entry is free, and the city says the ceremony "begins promptly at 6:00 PM," so it's worth arriving a few minutes early. Questions go to the city's events line at 909.349.6979 or [email protected].
Saturday, December 12: Festival of Winter. It starts right after the parade, and the Exchange Club lists it at Miller Amphitheater, 17002 Arrow Blvd. Admission is free. The festival has carnival rides, interactive games, a snow play area, live entertainment, local vendors, food and photos with Santa Claus. Some attractions and activities cost extra.
The festival isn't new. The 2024 announcement already described a Festival of Winter at Miller Park after the parade, and in 2025 the Exchange Club called it the City's annual Winter Festival. What changed is the walk to get there. Since the route became a loop, the floats reach Miller Park by coming west on Arrow Boulevard from Mango Avenue, so the finish is the last stretch of a 2.2-mile route.
If you followed our Fontana summer weeknight guide, you already know Miller Park. December gives it a Thursday evening and a Saturday that runs from morning into afternoon.
Planning December 12 from either end
These are the published times for parade day.
- 8:00 to 9:30 a.m. Parade groups check in at the Fontana Chamber of Commerce, 8491 Sierra Ave. Each group needs to send only one person.
- 9:30 a.m. Pre-show ceremony.
- 10:00 a.m. The parade leaves Arrow Boulevard and Sierra Avenue and heads south on Sierra, east on Orange Way, north on Mango Avenue and west on Arrow.
- After the parade. The Festival of Winter opens at Miller Amphitheater.
The Exchange Club says parking is first come, first served and suggests arriving early. That matters more at the Sierra Avenue end. Parade groups are checking in there before 9:30, and Toy Drive donors will be heading there too.
Your two choices come down to this:
- Start at Sierra Avenue. Drop your toy at The Alley, watch the pre-show and the first floats roll south past Stage Red, then walk or drive over to Miller Park for the festival.
- Start at Miller Park. Find a spot along Arrow Boulevard, watch the parade finish, and go straight into the rides, the snow play area and Santa photos. If you still have a toy to donate, plan a stop at the Sierra Avenue end first.
If you're planning December around Miller Park and Sierra Avenue, or you'd just like to talk through what's changing in downtown Fontana, Nicholas Cardenas is happy to help. You can request a free home consultation or browse the Fontana neighborhood page anytime. We'll see you on the route.
