The Holidays, Vermillion-Style
The Standstill Parade of Lights is a Vermillion tradition celebrating 10 years in 2025. It's a classic holiday parade with a twist—the floats stand still, and the people move! The first Thursday of December is when we usher in the holiday season. The streets fills with floats decked out in thousands of Christmas lights. People from all around the region, including Nebraska and Iowa, flock downtown to celebrate the season. Guests can keep warm with hot cocoa, coffee, and even soup. The highlight of the night is when Santa comes riding down Main Street to light the Vermillion Christmas Tree!
December 3, 2026
Downtown Vermillion
6–7 p.m.
605 Stops By
The Standstill Parade of Lights was featured in the November 2024 edition of 605 Magazine! Read all about the holiday festivities here.
Explore More Events
Oktoberfest
Celebrate Vermillion's proud German heritage with Oktoberfest! Enjoy wiener schnitzel, hammerschlagen, stein holding competitions, polka music, and steins galore of excellent local beer.
Trick-Or-Treating
Grab the kiddos and head downtown for the biggest Halloween event of the year. Tons of businesses, nonprofits, and USD student organizations will be hanging out and giving away tricks and treats.
Southeast Ag Tour
Get a glimpse into modern agriculture with tours of local agriculture operations, presentations from ag producers, Q&A sessions, hands-on activities, and a free dinner to round out the afternoon.