Everything You Need to Know About El Paso’s 2021 Thanksgiving Day Sun Bowl Parade

El Pasoans who love themselves a good old-fashioned parade will be happy to know they can get up at an ungodly hour on Thanksgiving morning again to stake out a spot along Montana Avenue.

A year after going virtual, El Paso’s Sun Bowl Parade will be a return to its traditional route and the public will be allowed to watch in person.

Last year because of the pandemic, for the first time in its existence, the Sun Bowl Parade did not have spectators. Instead, its participants and performances were all pre-taped and, frankly, it was pretty lame.

But this year it’s back to a live procession of floats, marching bands, military ceremonial units, and over-sized Shriners driving under-sized cars with hundreds of thousands of El Pasoans lined up along both sides of Montana to watch it all.

Here is what you need to know if you plan to go to the 85th edition of the Sun Bowl Association's annual parade

When

Thursday, November 25

Step off Time

10 a.m.

Parade Route

Begins on Montana at Ochoa and ends at Montana and Copia

Admission

Attendance along the route is free. Tickets for the review stand located at 1600 Montana are $10 and available at the Sun Bowl Association Office, 4150 Pinnacle Suite #100

2021 Parade Theme

“Happiness Is…”

Anticipated Units

100 units including floats, equestrian units, clowns, marching bands, drum and bugle corps units, dignitaries, celebrity Grand Marshal, and a wide variety of specialty units from Mexican / Indian dancers to military ceremonial units.

Television

Live coverage begins at 10 a.m. on the local NBC affiliate.