Truck and Tractor Parade, Waterford

A parade of illuminated trucks and tractors, each decked out in Christmas lights, sets off from The Quay in Waterford city on Sunday 6 December 2026 at 6pm, part of the Winterval festival. The route runs from The Quay across Rice Bridge before finishing at Bolton Street Car Park, where the vehicles line up for a showcase and stay lit until around 7pm, giving spectators a chance to walk among the trucks and tractors after the parade itself has passed. Drivers from local farms and haulage firms take part, decorating their own vehicles for the occasion, so the line-up varies year to year depending on who signs up, but the format, a slow-moving procession of lit-up machinery through the city centre after dark, is now an established part of Winterval’s December programme. Admission is free, and while there is no fixed entry fee, attendees are encouraged to donate on the night in support of Tintean Housing, the parade’s charity partner, which works to prevent and respond to homelessness in Waterford. The parade draws a strong turnout of families along the route, many of whom make a point of catching it every year, and it has become one of the more recognisably local additions to Winterval alongside events built around agriculture and haulage rather than pure entertainment.

What to expect

A slow procession of decorated trucks and tractors from The Quay across Rice Bridge to Bolton Street Car Park, starting at 6pm. The vehicles remain on display, lit up, at Bolton Street Car Park until around 7pm, so arriving either to watch the parade pass or to see the vehicles parked up afterwards both work.

Getting there

The Quay runs along the River Suir in Waterford city centre, within walking distance of the main shopping streets and the Apple Market. Bolton Street Car Park, where the parade finishes, is a short walk from the quay across Rice Bridge.