Blue Light Parade and Showcase, Waterford

Waterford’s Blue Light Parade and Showcase brings fire engines, ambulances, Garda cars, lifeboats and rescue vehicles through the city centre on Saturday 28 November 2026, part of the Winterval festival programme. The parade runs from 4pm to 7pm, tracing a route through Patrick Street, Peter Street, Lady Lane, Colbeck Street, The Mall and Lombard Street before converging on Bolton Street Car Park, where the vehicles park up for a static showcase. Children and families are invited to get up close to the vehicles on display, climb aboard where allowed, and meet the crews from the fire service, An Garda Siochana, the ambulance service and the RNLI, giving the event a hands-on, meet-the-emergency-services character rather than a straightforward drive-past parade. It is a free event with no ticket needed, and it has become one of the more distinctive fixtures on Winterval’s calendar precisely because it puts working emergency vehicles, normally seen responding to call-outs, on show for an afternoon of public engagement rather than duty. The parade is organised with the emergency services themselves rather than being a purely commercial festival attraction, giving it a genuine community-safety angle alongside the entertainment value for younger visitors.

What to expect

A parade of decorated emergency service vehicles moving through Waterford city centre from 4pm, ending with a static showcase at Bolton Street Car Park where vehicles remain on display until around 7pm. Expect the chance to climb aboard some vehicles and meet crews from the fire service, Gardai, ambulance service and RNLI, making it a popular stop for families with young children.

Getting there

Bolton Street Car Park is just off the city centre in Waterford, within walking distance of the main shopping streets. The parade route itself passes through several central streets, so those coming to watch it move can pick a spot anywhere along Patrick Street, Peter Street, Lady Lane, Colbeck Street, The Mall or Lombard Street.