Winters Tractor Parade: How a Holiday Tradition Rolled to Life
The Winters Tractor Parade & Festival isn’t your average holiday event—it’s a heartwarming community celebration, bringing holiday cheer and thousands of visitors to this charming town. While most people might turn their noses up at a whiff of tractor exhaust, in Winters, it’s a sign that the holidays have arrived!
It all started back in 2015, when Winters residents Kathy and Wade Cowan, inspired by a wine-fueled evening with friends, dreamed up the idea of a tractor parade after seeing their neighbor’s tractor decked out in Christmas lights. What began as a humble plan with six participating tractors quickly snowballed as word spread and more people wanted to join the holiday fun. By parade day, a small crowd had transformed into a huge turnout, filling Railroad Avenue and Main Street with spectators excited to see the festive tractors roll by.
Over the years, the Tractor Parade has only grown bigger, brighter, and even more organized, evolving into a fully coordinated event managed by the City of Winters and Bay Area Pop-Up Events. This festival, with food vendors, live music, and Santa collecting holiday wishes, is the very essence of small-town hospitality and community spirit. Winters is more than just a place where tractors drive by; it’s a place where community efforts shine as brightly as the lights on the parade tractors themselves.
