La Jolla's 70th Christmas Parade Rolls Down a Girard Avenue That's About to Change

How many times have you walked Girard Avenue without thinking of it as a parade route? On Sunday, December 6, the 70th La Jolla Christmas Parade and Holiday Festival steps off at Kline Street and Girard and finishes at the La Jolla Recreation Center at Draper and Prospect. Girard, where the parade starts, already has a replacement waiting. The new design is permitted for its full length and finished on paper, and the first phase is fully funded. The one thing nobody has settled is the day crews show up.

That changes how this year's holiday calendar reads. The Village open house, the art walk and the parade's Girard starting line all belong to the current version of the street. That version is running on a clock with no fixed end date.

The replacement is already approved

The La Jolla Community Foundation's streetscape project has been in the works since 2021. In October, the San Diego Union-Tribune's La Jolla Light coverage laid out where it stands. Phase 1 will rebuild Girard between Prospect and Wall streets with better lighting and seating, more street trees, curb extensions and traffic-calming measures. Phase 2 continues the same treatment from Wall to Silverado Street.

The paperwork is done. A building permit covering both phases was issued in August, after about seven rounds of revisions with the city, according to that same report. Phase 1 counts as fully funded. The money comes from $850,000 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, $1 million from the State of California and $3 million from local donors. The foundation is now raising money for Phase 2.

The schedule is the piece still moving. In July, the La Jolla Light reported that construction would likely start in January. The federal and state grants come with different requirements, so the project had to go out to bid again. By mid-October, organizers were still working through the federal rules. At the October 14 La Jolla Village Merchants Association meeting, foundation executive director Lidia Rossner said this, as quoted in the Union-Tribune:

"In theory, it is possible that we start sometime in January, but we don't know."

The next day, foundation chairwoman Phyllis Pfeiffer told the Enhance La Jolla board that work would begin "in the early part of 2027." She didn't give a date and called it "a moving goal post."

One street, two funding stories

On foot, Girard feels like one continuous street. The project plans split it in two. Phase 1, from Prospect to Wall, has its money. Phase 2, from Wall to Silverado, has its permit and is still raising funds.

A few landmarks sit on or near those blocks:

• Warwick's at 7812 Girard is booking in-store events this fall. Its events calendar lists October 2026 programs at that address.
• La Plaza sits at Wall and Girard, the dividing line between the two phases. The open-air complex at 7863–7877 Girard lists Catania, Elixir Espresso Bar, Lucien, Teuscher Chocolates, Thread + Seed and ONE|10 Salon among its tenants on its own site.
• Mahj Theory Collective opened August 12 at 7863 Girard, inside La Plaza. It offers Mahjong lessons, leagues, tournaments and drop-in open play, according to the Union-Tribune's September business roundup.
• La Jolla Perfume & Cologne held a soft opening August 1 at 7606 Girard and plans a grand opening once its outdoor sign goes up, per the same roundup.
• The Ascot Shop at 7750 Girard is described by the San Diego Tourism Authority as a family-run Village shop with more than 70 years of history.

Several of these shops opened this year, on a street that already has an approved redesign. Their first holiday season on Girard will look like every previous one. Their second may look different.

The holiday calendar on the current Girard

These are the dated Village events between now and the parade.

The Holiday Open House doesn't have one central stage. Each participating business hosts its own activities, so the event spreads across the Village. For anyone walking Girard that afternoon, it's the best chance to see which shops on the redesign blocks are taking part.

Mavi Mediterranean's December 2 date is a target, and it has already slipped once. The restaurant first aimed for October and was still in development and permitting when the Union-Tribune reported the new date in late September.

Parade day, December 6

The parade and festival are a single free event. The Holiday Festival runs from 1 to 5 p.m. at the La Jolla Recreation Center. The official site gives two kickoff times for the parade. Its banner says 1 p.m. and its FAQ says 1:30 p.m. Either way, the parade runs about 90 minutes. If you want a curbside spot on Girard, plan around the earlier time.

This year, the KPBS event listing describes the Village Christmas Market as a new part of the day. Sounds by the Sea brings live music to the Recreation Center lawn all afternoon, and Santa visits after the parade. Santa visits can be reserved through a form on the parade site.

Some practical details from the organizers:

• Parking is outside the event perimeter. The parade site posts a downloadable no-parking and tow-away map.
• ADA parking is in the Wells Fargo lot at 7714 Girard and requires a pass. You can request one at (858) 922-4046. Drivers enter from Fay Avenue onto Silverado Street, show the pass at the checkpoint, then follow the alley to the lot just before Kline Street.
• Weather: the parade has never been canceled in its 70-year history, and organizers plan to keep going rain or shine unless the City directs otherwise.

What the new Girard is designed to fix

The most expensive part of the rebuild won't be visible from the curb. Rossner told merchants the costliest element is the stormwater drainage channels, which she called especially important with El Niño season coming. Recent estimates put the full project at $7.43 million. She said the figure is "now, it's closer to $8 (million)," as reported by the Union-Tribune.

The visible changes add up across both phases to 63 new benches, 49 new trees, 51 lights and 9,100 square feet of public space. Some items were removed from the plans, including an on-ground mural. Pfeiffer said elements that could be a liability for the city or the foundation were taken out of the plans.

Merchants are watching the construction side of this. LJVMA executive director Jodi Rudick said shop owners are concerned about major construction and the loss of parking. She also said she expects the finished project to be "a really beautiful project," per the Union-Tribune report. The October update didn't say how long Phase 1 will take. The most recent public estimate is older. In January 2025, the La Jolla Light reported about five months for Phase 1, with phasing meant to avoid interrupting retail during the busy summer and holiday seasons. That estimate came before the rebid. Treat it as a goal from early 2025, not a schedule.

On December 6, the parade steps off from Kline and Girard on the street as it stands today. The next version of that street already has a permit and a funded first phase.

If you own on or near Girard and want to talk through what a 2027 construction season could mean for your property, Silvia Vasquez is happy to sit down with you, in English or Spanish, whenever it suits your schedule. Schedule your free consultation or get an instant home valuation. We'll keep watching the Village calendar for you.