Rialto holiday parade brings marching bands, grand marshal Ricardo Sandoval and tree lighting

Hundreds of residents filled Rialto’s Civic Center area for the city’s 2025 holiday parade and festival, which showcased marching bands, community organizations and a tree-lighting ceremony on the stage outside City Hall. The parade lineup included school bands and JROTC units, cheer squads and nonprofit floats, and the city introduced Ricardo Sandoval as this year’s grand marshal and a 2025 Rialto Sports Hall of Fame inductee.

Mayor Joe Baca, who spoke from the parade route, offered holiday greetings to attendees: "May God bless you and may you have a Merry Christmas," he said, urging residents to enjoy the season and be safe. Parks and recreation staff shepherded the transition from the parade to the festival area and introduced elected officials onstage ahead of the tree lighting. Parks and Rec Director Cynthia Alvarado asked the crowd to thank the event staff: "My team is excited to be able to do this for you," she said during the stage presentation.

The event emphasized local participation: Rialto Unified School District representatives and dozens of youth sports and dance groups marched or performed, and longtime community service clubs — including Kiwanis and Lions — were among the civic participants. Police and fire department units also appeared in the parade and offered seasonal greetings to the crowd.

Organizers timed the parade to end at the Civic Center and immediately move into the festival’s staged entertainment; the tree-lighting moment concluded the broadcast portion of the event. Officials asked attendees to remain for post-parade programming, food vendors and performances on two festival stages.