2024 Tucson Rodeo Parade New Route Info

After working together for most of the past year and looking at all possible options for re-routing the parade, the Tucson Rodeo Parade Committee and the City have determined that the optimal route for this year (2024) will shift to the south and west of the original route beginning at 12^th Avenue and Drexel Road, heading east on Drexel to S. Nogales Highway, turning north on S. Nogales Highway / S. 6^th Avenue, and then traveling north on S. Nogales Highway / S. 6^th Avenue across Irvington Road and returning to the Rodeo Grounds. 

This year’s parade is on Thursday, February 22 and it will run from 9 a.m. to approximately 11 a.m. 

The run time is much shorter than the actual time that the area of the parade is affected by the preparations for the parade and the time allowed for attendees and participants to depart from the parade area.  All parade activity in the area should be clear and all roads reopened by 1 p.m. 

The Tucson Rodeo Parade is the largest non-motorized parade in the United States. That means that all of the entries either walk, ride in wagons, or ride on horseback along the parade route. This requires a lot of planning for road closures and staging of the parade entries and the bands in parts of the neighborhoods within the route boundary to keep participants and our community members who come to watch the parade safe. The boundary and closure area for this year’s Rodeo Parade will be Irvington Road, 12th Avenue, Drexel Road, and S. Nogales Highway/ S. 6th Avenue. 

The road closures will begin at 7 a.m. and conclude by 1 p.m. at the latest. The primary neighborhood area that is impacted is the Sunnyside Neighborhood. The Rodeo Parade Committee with the City of Tucson have been in contact with the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association to present the route plan and start the process of making the community aware of this route change.  We are also communicating with the businesses on the affected roadways.

The Rodeo Parade Committee stages large numbers of volunteers in the neighborhoods and along the route and works with the Tucson Police and Fire Departments to identify emergency exit routes in the impacted neighborhoods and to ensure that there are emergency services and access available before and during the parade as once the parade begins, traffic into and out of the area is stopped. 

Because of this impact, it is important to plan ahead for the day of the parade if community residents need to be out of the area for work or appointments between the hours of 7a.m. and 1 p.m.

Information on road closures will continue to be updated through the next two weeks as all traffic control plans are finalized. Drivers in the area on the day of the event should watch for all traffic control signage and follow the directions of TPD officers and traffic control staff that will be on site throughout the parade area.

Major Roadway Closures

• Irvington Road and 12th Ave. Intersection – Full closure of Irvington east of 12^th Ave. at 7 a.m.
  • Left turn to head north on 12th Ave. and right turn to head south on 12^th Ave. for Eastbound traffic from I-10
• 12^th Ave. and Nebraska St. – Nebraska closed just east of 12^th Ave. at 7 a.m.
  •  Right turn to head west on Nebraska from southbound traffic on 12^th Ave.

• Irvington Road and S. Fletcher Ave. – Full closure of Irvington Road just east of Fletcher Ave. at 7 a.m.

• 6th Ave. and Michigan Street – Full closure of 6th Ave. just south of Michigan at 7 a.m.

• S. Nogales Hwy and Drexel Road – Full closure of intersection south of Drexel at 8:30 a.m.

• Drexel Road and S. 1st Ave. – Full closure of Drexel just west of S. 1st Ave. at 7 a.m.

• Drexel Road and 12th Ave. – Full closure of 12th Ave. south of Drexel at 7 a.m.

• Drexel Road and Santa Clara - Full closure of Drexel just east of Santa Clara at 7 a.m.

Scroll down to the map below to view the route. Click on the map to download it as a pdf.

The Sun Tran and Sun Shuttle transit routes that run to and from the Laos Transit Center will continue to operate during the Rodeo Parade but there will be detours and some delays. 

Rodeo Parade Detours!

• Beginning February 22 at 6 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sun Tran, Sun Express and Sun Shuttle routes 2, 11, 12, 18, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 50 203X, 204X, 421X, 430, 440 and 486 will be detoured due to street closures for the Rodeo Parade.
• The parade is schedule to begin at 9 a.m., and will travel South 12th Avenue and Drexel Road, proceed east on Drexel Road to South Nogales Highway, ending at Irvington Road.
• Passengers riding affected routes will experience delays and are encouraged to plan accordingly.
• For a list of interrupted bus stops and alternate boarding locations, visit Suntran.com/alerts-detours

Click here to read the news release from Sun Tran in English and Spanish.

For trip planning assistance or additional information, call Customer Service (520) 792-9222 or visit Suntran.com. Translation assistance is available by calling Customer Service, press 03 and say the language needed in English.

The Rodeo Parade entries are divided into what are called divisions. These divisions are a mix of wagons, horseback, and walking entries that march along the parade route. The divisions will line up in their staging areas on Alaska, Oregon, and Canada Streets, and Holladay Drive between Liberty Avenue and 12^th Avenue. As the parade moves out they will exit onto 12^th Avenue to enter into the parade at its starting point on Drexel.

To get to the staging areas, the divisions will use Liberty Ave. and some of the wagons and entries coming from the Rodeo Grounds will be coming down Liberty Ave. all the way from Ohio Street north of Irvington. 

The divisions are accompanied by Rodeo Parade volunteers who ensure that as they line up and park vehicles to unload horses and participants that they do not block neighbors who need to leave before the parade begins. Many of these participants will remain parked in this area until the end of the parade and will be returning to the area to reload their horses.  

Special thanks to the Vidaneuva Church on Nebraska St. for allowing divisional parade participants to park in their parking lot.  

Scroll down to the map below to view the route. Click on the map to download it as a pdf.

The marching bands from several local area high schools will be participating in the Rodeo Parade. They will be staging on 12^th Ave. just north of Drexel. They will be dropped off by their school buses and line up on Drexel. The bands will not be returning to this area as they will be picked up when they conclude their marching in the parade at Irvington Road and the Rodeo Grounds.   

Scroll down to the map below to view the route. Click on the map to download it as a pdf.

With thanks to Tucson Electric Power and the City of Tucson Parks Department, the grandstands will be located on the TEP property on the north side of Drexel just east of 12^th Ave. and just east of Liberty. They will be placed in the area at the end of January and be there through the first week of March. The grandstands will have to be towed from the Rodeo Grounds, where they are stored, to this location. That will require a road closure which will be announced soon. 

Scroll down to the map below to view the route. Click on the map to download it as a pdf.

Anyone who wishes to attend the parade has a few different options to attend and watch the parade.  The grandstand bleacher seating is ticketed, and tickets can be purchased by clicking the button on the Tucson Rodeo Parade website, www.tucsonrodeoparade.com. Tickets are $10 for children (plus a $1.63 ticketing fee) and $12 for adults (plus a $1.69 ticketing fee) per ticket. 

You can also attend and view the event for free from the sidewalk and right of way areas along the parade route as most members of our community have done throughout the history of the parade. The Rodeo Parade Committee and the City ask that you please make sure to stay out of the roadway and follow the direction of the Parade Committee volunteers or TPD officers along the route to ensure that everyone remains safe. We would also ask that you are careful and respectful if you wind up parking in the neighborhoods within the parade boundary area and don’t block driveways or emergency access ways.  

Finally, if you cannot attend in person, you can watch the parade thanks to KOLD 13 News which will broadcast the parade on KOLD 13  television channels and livestream it on their website, news app, Facebook page and YouTube channel.

For questions about the Rodeo Parade and any concerns about the impacts you can call the City of Tucson's new 311 service line. To call, enter 3-1-1 on your mobile or home phone. You may also contact the Tucson Rodeo Parade by calling (520) 294-1280.

Learn more about Tucson's new 311 service line and the Tucson311 service request portal and app here: https://www.tucsonaz.gov/Residents/311-Service-Request-Portal.