Join the Petaluma Egg Farm's 2023 Cutest Little Chick Contest!

When is the 2023 parade?   Saturday, April 22 from 10a to 5p, with the parade from 12 Noon to 2pm.

What is the theme?   “There’s No Place Like Home” - Celebrating the Parade’s 40^th Ruby Jubilee

How do I enter my child in the Cutest Little Chick Contest?   This much-loved community contest takes place at the Butter & Egg Days Parade at 10:15 am in front of Copperfields Books (140 Kentucky St). It is put on by Petaluma Egg Farms and you need to give them at call at (707) 763-0921 to sign up. Participants are invited to ride in their float in the parade after the competition as well!

What is the parade route?   The parade begins at Walnut Park (4th & D Streets), proceeds North on Fourth Street to Kentucky Street, takes a right on Washington Street heading East, takes another right onto Petaluma Blvd North heading South, and disbands back at Walnut Park.

When is the festival and where is it located?   The festival begins at 10 am and ends at 5 pm.  Music, family fun activities, a multitude of food vendors, beverage gardens, arts & crafts booths, samplings, and more will be available.  The festival takes place on 4^th Street, Western Avenue between Kentucky Street and Petaluma Blvd North, B Street, 2nd Street, and in the A Street Parking Lot. 

Where are the awards announced and when?   The Awards ceremony for all parade categories will take place at approximately 3 pm on the steps of the Petaluma Historical Library & Museum at 20 4th Street, located on the corner of B Street & 4th Street.

How many people attend the event?   We have over 30,000 spectators, in addition to over 3,000 participants in the parade, and over 240 volunteers that help run it.

How long has this Parade been taking place?   Since 1982, it's currently in its 39th year! This event was "resurrected" from the original "Egg Days Parade" that celebrated our booming egg industry at the turn of the 20th Century. The last Egg Days Parade took place in 1926.

Why are the streets closed?   There is a parade and festival so we have to clear the streets in order to make way for it. 

What streets are closed and when?   There are a number of street closures:

• Petaluma Boulevard between Washington St. and “D” St., from 10:30 AM to 3 PM;

• Kentucky Street between “B” Street and Washington Street, from 7 AM to 3 PM;
• Second Street between “B” Street and “D” Street, from 5 AM to 6 PM,
• Fourth Street between “I” Street and “B” Street, from 10:30 AM to 2 PM;
• Fifth Street between “I” Street and “D” Street, from 7 AM to 2 PM;
• “A” Street Parking Lot from 5 AM to 6 PM;
• “B” Street between Second Street and Petaluma Boulevard from 5 AM to 6 PM;
• “B” Street between Petaluma Boulevard and Sixth Street, from 5 AM to 6 PM;
• “C” Street between Petaluma Boulevard and Second Street, from 7 AM to 3 PM;
• “C” Street between Petaluma Boulevard and Fifth Street, from 7 AM to 3 PM;
• “D” Street between First Street and Sixth Street, from 10:30 AM to 3 PM;
• Water St. between Washington St. and Petaluma Boulevard, from 7 AM to 6 PM;
• Washington St. between Keller St. and Petaluma Blvd., from 10:30 AM to 3 PM;
• Western Avenue between Petaluma Blvd. and Keller Street, from 5 AM to 6 PM;
• “E”, “F” and “H” Streets between Fourth St. and Fifth St., from 7 AM to 3 PM

How can I drive into that area?   The parade area is closed to through traffic. Only residents may drive through.

Where can I park?   There is plenty of parking in the City Parking Garage on First & C Street and the City Parking Garage on Keller and Western Ave. The city also waives the 2 hr parking restriction on that day for the surrounding non-closed streets.  OR, avoid parking altogether and enjoy a free ride on Petaluma Transit's clean, safe, and Wi-Fi equipped buses to the Parade, link TBD.

Eastside Residents

• Live near S McDowell Blvd, Ely Blvd S, Sonoma Mtn Pkwy, Maria Drive, or E. Madison? Take Route 33 to ETC (Safeway) & transfer to Route 11 to Copeland Transit Mall and walk to the parade.

• Live near N. McDowell Blvd? Take Route 2 to ETC (Safeway) & stay on the bus, it will then go to Copeland Transit Mall (the bus becomes Route 11 once it departs ETC) and you can walk to the parade.

• Live near Lakeville Hwy, Frates Road, S. McDowell Blvd, or Caulfield? Take Route 24 to Copeland Transit Mall and walk to the parade.

Westside Residents

• Live near Petaluma Blvd N. take Route 1 to Copeland Transit Mall and walk to the parade.

What about Accessible Parking?   Accessible parking is available on the corner of 2^nd Street & C Street in the City parking structure. With closures, you’ll need to enter on 1^st Street (off of D Street), make a left onto C Street, and then you can enter the parking garage on the left. The distance to the parade route on Petaluma Blvd. is one block. Accessible parking is also available in the City Parking Garage on Keller Street and Western Ave, and is a very short distance to the parade route. There is an accessible parking area behind the A Street Parking Lot off of 5^th Street next to the old education building on the corner of B Street and 5^th Street.  Enter on 5^th Street and to access the dedicated accessible parking spaces.  These spaces are approximately one block to the parade route on 4^th Street.

I’m in the parade. Where do I go?   Everyone should check with whoever has organized their parade entry before the day of the event. The contact person for each unit involved in the parade is sent parade orders with when and where to show up the morning of the parade. All units line up in the surrounding neighborhoods and leave from Walnut Park at 4^th and D Sts. to begin the parade route. Please don't drive through street closures, they are there for a reason. If you have a young child, please park and walk them to where they need to go. It's not safe for you or anyone else to drive through the street closures!

Who puts this on?   The Petaluma Downtown Association and a volunteer committee plan this event. To contact, call 707.762.9348 or email Admin@PetalumaDowntown.com.

How is the parade funded?   The Butter & Egg Days Parade is funded through business sponsorships, a grant from the County of Sonoma, vendor fees, entrant fees, and generous donations.

How can I help support the parade?   We rely on the community’s support for this much-loved event. Ways to help include: signing up to be one of our 240 volunteers that help run the parade HERE; donating ~ any amount of donation is appreciated; becoming an Award Sponsor ($100 for one award, $250 for three, etc) which receives sponsor recognition on one or more of the awards that will be given to the winning entries.

Where is the judging stand?   In front of McNear’s (23 Petaluma Blvd. N).

How many people are in the parade?   Over 3,000 people participate with around 135 parade entries and 8 divisions.  This includes: floats, horses, marching bands, novelty units and more.

Where can I see the parade?   From the curb along the entire parade route.

Can I sit in the street?   No. The street must be kept clear. There are horses and many large units. For safety reasons, all spectators must stay on the curb.

What if it rains?   The event goes on, rain or shine.

What are the deadlines for participating in the parade?   This year's deadline to be in the parade is March 18th.

How do I put together a parade unit or float?   It’s fun to create decorations for your parade unit, whether you’re pushing shopping carts, walking your llamas or having a float. To get some hints or tips, join us for our Float Workshop. Date and location will be announced shortly! Send us an email at Admin@PetalumaDowntown.com to get the information.

What if I want a food booth, non-profit booth, or other vendor booth in the Festival?   Simply complete the appropriate vendor forms online! Applications are in the links below.

How do I see the Booth locations?   View map HERE.

When is the deadline for reserving booth space?   We accept applications for booths at Butter & Egg Days until we run out of space.