Unless a “miracle donor” comes through, San Marcos is unlikely to host its annual holiday parade come December.
That’s after the nonprofit Kiwanis Club of Lake San Marcos, which has run the parade for 28 years, told the city it could no longer take it on due to financial challenges.
The San Marcos City Council discussed the issue at its Sept. 8 City Council meeting. Staff said the city has reached out to nonprofits and other groups, many of which have said they would offer some level of support for the parade but did not offer to take the lead.
As it stands, the city would be on the hook for $50,000 to $70,000, not to mention staff time to set up a parade by December.
The City Council directed staff to collect data on what it would look like to run the parade in future years and make a decision during its goal-setting workshop in early 2027.