Murphys Open House & Lighted Parade

Every year on the first Friday in December, Murphys celebrates the start of the holiday season with a Community Open House & Lighted Parade from 5 to 8 pm. Admission is free, the streets are closed, and we are ready to celebrate. Open House is a great time to peruse Murphys’ shops, tasting rooms, and restaurants, see what’s new, visit with old friends, admire the community tree, and appreciate our small-town vibe.

A favorite of locals, the annual event is an old-fashioned community celebration featuring a holiday parade starting at 5:30 pm, treats, and entertainment hosted by Main Street merchants, restaurants, wineries, and the Murphys Business Association.

Santa arrives with the parade and stays for photos with the kids.  You may find him strolling around near the Murphys’ Historic Hotel right after the parade or stop by the V Bistro to share your wish list with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Parents should bring their phones or a camera and plan to get some pictures.  Bring a new toy to donate!

Carolers and musicians are welcome to join us on the street and add to the festivities!

Parking can be a little tricky at Open House.  Please remember that the Black Bart Parking Lot will be unavailable until after the parade.  Free public parking, including accessible parking, is available at the Masonic Hall (Church Street), Old School House Parking lot (60 Jones Street), and in the parking lots of businesses, and on the open side streets. The Masonic Hall Parking lot provides the most accessible parking and is located within just a short, level block of the event area with most of the route closed to traffic.  However, that lot fills up quickly, so you’ll want to get here early if you are planning on attending the parade.

Main Street is closed to traffic during this event, and we ask that all cars be moved before the start of the event to allow for the parade.  Please be considerate and don’t block driveways or park in areas marked with No Parking signs.  Our streets are narrow, and parking along the sides could prevent our public safety vehicles from getting through in the case of an emergency.

Please do not park in a parking area within the event boundary if you will need to leave before the street reopens around 8:30pm.  We cannot allow you to drive your vehicle on the closed street and we’d hate to see you trapped at the event.

The hometown parade begins promptly at 5:30 pm at the corner of Algiers and Main Street by the Murphys Historic Hotel and extends all the way to the intersection with Big Trees Road so there is plenty of room to spread out and still see the entire parade.  Announcers will be located at the start of the parade, at the corner of Church and Main near the Hovey Tasting Room and in front of the Black Sheep Tasting Room in the Arbors Shopping Center.

2025 Parade Details
Those folks wishing to participate in the parade this year may contact Jody Jurgens Garcia at murphysopenhouseparade@gmail.com for more information.  You can see and download the application and information forms at Murphys Open House Parade 2025 Application and Rules. Feel free to fill them out and email them to the address above). Everybody is welcome, and we’d love to see your family, friends, organization, musical group, or children’s group participate. Space is limited, though, so don’t wait too long to get those forms back to us!

2025 Highlights & Activities! 

Carolers, and other entertainers, are welcome to join us on the street throughout the event; just contact us in advance, so we know to expect you.

Santa and Mrs Claus will be hanging out at V Bistro again this year. Bring the kiddos, bring a new unwrapped toy to donate, and take pictures with Santa! They will have cookies, hot chocolate, cider, and special goodie bags for the kids. Let’s see what we can do to help the less fortunate families in our community!

V Restaurant, Bistro & Bar is a proud sponsor of Toys For Tots. They will be collecting toys for local families in our county who could not otherwise afford to give their children a special Christmas. You may also drop off donations at the Murphys Historic Hotel.