Yuma Silver Spur Rodeo Parade Feb. 14 Honors Military, Seeks Entrants

The Yuma Silver Spur Rodeo announced its 2026 Rodeo Parade will step off at 9:00 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 14, running from Fifth Street and Orange Avenue to Third Street and Giss Parkway. The parade theme, "Cannon Balls to Rockets," honors the military and organizers are encouraging entrants to decorate in red, white and blue.

Participation in the parade is free, and applications must be submitted by Jan. 31, 2026. Interested groups, floats and individuals can find and submit the application on the Yuma Rodeo website. The announcement specifically invites community participation, aiming to bring residents, service groups and veterans' organizations together for a midwinter downtown event that coincides with the Silver Spur Rodeo schedule.

Placed on Valentine’s Day, the parade is likely to draw families and couples in addition to traditional rodeo crowds, which could increase foot traffic for downtown retailers, restaurants and vendors. Local merchants often see a measurable uptick in weekend activity when rodeo events and parades cluster on the calendar, and a morning parade creates opportunities for breakfast and coffee businesses to capture early visitors. For small-business owners near the Fifth-Orange to Third-Giss corridor, the parade is both a promotional moment and a logistical consideration.

The organizers' military-focused theme aims to strengthen ties between the rodeo and Yuma’s sizable veteran community and active-duty population. Honoring service members with visible civic recognition can have social and economic ripple effects: events that highlight veterans tend to increase attendance by family networks and community organizations that support veteran services, and they can prompt local fundraising and volunteer mobilization tied to military-affiliated nonprofits.

Logistics will matter for residents planning to travel downtown on Feb. 14. The published route indicates closures or limited vehicle access along Fifth Street, Orange Avenue, Third Street and Giss Parkway during parade hours. Motorists and transit users should expect detours and plan alternate routes for the morning. Parade entrants should prepare to decorate in the specified patriotic colors and complete their applications by the Jan. 31 deadline to secure a spot in the lineup.

With a clear application window and no participation fee, the Silver Spur Rodeo Parade aims to be a broad community showcase that honors the military while giving local businesses and civic groups a platform. For Yuma residents, the near-term step is simple: sign up by Jan. 31 if you want to march or display, and factor the Feb. 14 route into morning travel plans as the community gears up for a patriotic, rodeo-infused kickoff to the weekend.