History

Started by the Adolphus and Children's Medical Center as a gift to the commmunity
In 1987, The Adolphus and Children's Medical Center Dallas each reached historic milestones by celebrating 75th anniversaries. The Adolphus had prospered to become internationally acclaimed, and Children's Medical Center Dallas had become one of the premier healthcare facilities for children in the United States. In search of an appropriate gift for the citizens of Dallas for allowing these institutions to prosper, the hotel proposed the idea of a parade to Children's Medical Center Dallas. The parade would:

An instant winner
The magical combination of children, the holiday season and charity was embraced by Children's Medical Center Dallas and proved to be an instant winner. On December 3, 1988, the first parade was lovingly produced by the employees of The Adolphus and Children's Medical Center Dallas and was enjoyed by a crowd of 70,000 enthusiastic children and their family members. The event became known among hotel and hospital employees as the "Miracle on Commerce Street."

The parade continues to grow
The parade grew and in 1993 international retailer Neiman Marcus signed on as the title sponsor. The original Neiman Marcus store, which opened in 1907, is just blocks away from The Adolphus on Commerce Street, in downtown Dallas.

In 2008, after 15 years, Neiman Marcus retired as the title sponsor of the parade. Their wonderful partnership and support of the parade over the years helped drive the parade to the level it is today. In the same year, another exciting opportunity presented itself. Capital One Bank joined the Parade as a sponsor and is the new title sponsor of the 2009 parade.

Today, Capital One Bank Adolphus Children's Parade draws crowds of more than 350,000. More than 350 television stations in 159 markets have syndicated the parade. It has become a holiday tradition for thousands of families throughout North Texas and coast to coast.

Dancers at the parade