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The Nov. 27 procession opens Rotary Lights’ 32nd year, but the parade is downtown while the ceremony and fireworks are at Riverside Park. The park display continues through Dec. 31.
All times are local to the venue · America/Chicago
Rotary Lights’ opening night has two locations: the parade is scheduled for 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27, through downtown La Crosse; the opening ceremony and fireworks follow at Riverside Park. The parade route and end time aren’t listed, so the park address is not a confirmed place to watch the procession.
The opening-night sequence moves from downtown La Crosse to Riverside Park. The ceremony and fireworks are listed for immediately after the parade, but no duration or clock time for that park program is given.
The parade route, viewing spots and parade-related street closures aren’t specified. Riverside Park is the stated location for the ceremony and fireworks; its address should not be treated as a parade viewing address.
Further reading: Rotary Lights Parade | ExploreLaCrosse ↗ · Rotary Lights - La Crosse, WI | Wisconsin Great River RoadWisconsin Great River RoadWisconsin Great River RoadWisconsin Great River Road TripFacebookInstagramPinterestYouTubeClose Popup ↗
The season listing says Santa and a couple of reindeer will be in the park nightly through Dec. 23. Free s’mores are offered each night near the giant snowman.
A Live Nativity, carriage rides and hay rides are listed for select nights, but the listing doesn’t give dates for those activities. If one is central to your visit, the schedule provided doesn’t identify which night to choose.
Rotary Lights also lists an All Abilities Night on Monday, Nov. 30, from 5 to 8 p.m. The stated adjustment is subdued lights and music. The listing doesn’t describe other access arrangements, so visitors should not assume particular accommodations beyond those changes.
Admission to the park display is free. Visitors are encouraged, but not required, to leave cash or food contributions as they exit. The listing says 11 area food pantries have shared close to 3 million donated food items, and more than $500,000 has been distributed to more than 200 area nonprofit agencies that provide people power for Rotary Lights.
The same listing reports nearly 130,000 visitors per year, without identifying a specific year for that figure; it gives a broad sense of the tradition’s annual reach, not a forecast for opening night.
The announced program shifts from the downtown procession to Riverside Park for the opening ceremony and fireworks. Those are separate settings, and the listing doesn’t give a parade duration or an exact clock time for the park program.
The parade is scheduled for 5 p.m. through downtown La Crosse. The opening ceremony and fireworks at Riverside Park follow immediately after the parade; no parade end time is listed.
Rotary Lights Parade | ExploreLaCrosse ↗ · Rotary Lights - La Crosse, WI | Wisconsin Great River RoadWisconsin Great River RoadWisconsin Great River RoadWisconsin Great River Road TripFacebookInstagramPinterestYouTubeClose Popup ↗
The park opens at 5 p.m. daily. Gates close after the last car in line at 10 p.m. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day hours are 5–9 p.m.; New Year’s Eve hours are 5–11 p.m. These are display hours, not a stated duration for the parade.
The listing describes the park display as viewable by car, on foot or by carriage. It also advertises more than 3.5 million lights. Santa and reindeer are listed nightly through Dec. 23, and free s’mores are offered nightly near the giant snowman. Live Nativity, carriage rides and hay rides are listed on select nights, with no dates provided.
The listing says lights and music will be subdued for this separate park-display evening. It does not specify other access arrangements.
Visitors are encouraged, but not required, to contribute cash and/or food as they leave Riverside Park. The listings don’t state separate admission terms for the downtown parade.
The parade is listed as taking place through downtown La Crosse, but the sources don’t give a route, viewing point or parade-specific address. Riverside Park is the site for the ceremony and fireworks, not a confirmed parade viewing location.
Rotary Lights Parade | ExploreLaCrosse ↗ · Rotary Lights - La Crosse, WI | Wisconsin Great River RoadWisconsin Great River RoadWisconsin Great River RoadWisconsin Great River Road TripFacebookInstagramPinterestYouTubeClose Popup ↗
The event listing identifies Riverside Park at 100 State St, La Crosse, WI 54601. The season listing’s maps-and-directions field gives 410 Veteran Memorial Drive, La Crosse. The sources do not identify a specific entrance. Map links can calculate directions to the listed park destination from your starting point; they do not establish a parade viewing point.
For the park display, the listing says roads are blocked so traffic can enter from a single direction. It does not provide transit or parking details, or parade-specific street-closure information.
It is listed as going through downtown La Crosse. The route and parade viewing spots are not specified; Riverside Park is listed for the opening ceremony and fireworks.
Rotary Lights Parade | ExploreLaCrosse ↗ · Rotary Lights - La Crosse, WI | Wisconsin Great River RoadWisconsin Great River RoadWisconsin Great River RoadWisconsin Great River Road TripFacebookInstagramPinterestYouTubeClose Popup ↗
They are scheduled at Riverside Park immediately after the parade, but no parade end time or exact clock time for the fireworks is listed.
Rotary Lights Parade | ExploreLaCrosse ↗ · Rotary Lights - La Crosse, WI | Wisconsin Great River RoadWisconsin Great River RoadWisconsin Great River RoadWisconsin Great River Road TripFacebookInstagramPinterestYouTubeClose Popup ↗
It opens at 5 p.m. daily, with gates closing after the last car in line at 10 p.m. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day hours are 5–9 p.m.; New Year’s Eve is 5–11 p.m.
On Monday, Nov. 30, from 5 to 8 p.m., the lights and music will be subdued. The listing does not specify other access arrangements.
Admission to the Riverside Park display is free. Visitors are encouraged, but not required, to contribute cash and/or food as they leave. Parade-specific admission terms are not stated.
Riverside Park, 100 State St, La Crosse, WI 54601. Parade route address not specified.
Map search by venue and address. Check the organiser’s entrance details before travelling.
Images from the linked sources. Each caption identifies the context of the image.
Event, planning and background information checked 2026-11-02 against the linked sources.