IllustrationDía de Reyes · January 6
Three Kings Day in the US: when it is, what families do, and where the parades are
For millions of American families Christmas is not over on December 25. On the night of January 5 children leave out their shoes and a bit of grass for the camels, and in the morning the Three Kings have been. Here is how the day works, when it falls, and where to see the Kings ride through US cities.
7 places in 6 US cities · checked September 2026
until Three Kings Day
When is Three Kings Day?
Always on January 6 — twelve days after Christmas, the feast Christian churches call the Epiphany. In 2027 it falls on a Wednesday. The gifts come overnight, so the evening that matters to children is January 5, which is also Twelfth Night.
Parades and community celebrations don't always fall on the 6th itself. When it lands midweek, many cities hold theirs on the weekend before or after, so check the city list below for how each one usually does it.
What families do on the night of January 5
Children write a letter to Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar — the way other children write to Santa — and leave their shoes by the door, the bed or the Christmas tree. Puerto Rican children fill a shoebox with grass or hay and slide it under the bed so the camels have something to eat after the long ride. A glass of water is a thoughtful extra.
In the morning the grass is gone and there are presents in or beside the shoes. In Mexico, Puerto Rico and Spain this has long been the main gift day; in the US many families do both — Santa on the 25th, a smaller gift from the Kings on the 6th.
The rosca, and who owes tamales
On the afternoon or evening of the 6th the family cuts a rosca de reyes — a ring of sweet bread topped with candied fruit, usually with hot chocolate. Hidden inside are one or more tiny figurines of the baby Jesus. Whoever's slice has one hosts the next party: tamales for everyone on February 2, Día de la Candelaria.
Spanish families eat a similar roscón, often filled with cream. Mexican bakeries across the US bake roscas from late December to mid-January — see our guide to where to buy one in your city.
Photo: Luisitoniano · CC BY-SA 4.0Who celebrates Three Kings Day in America
Mexican-American, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican and Spanish families above all, and many other Latin American communities. It is also a feast day in Catholic parishes, where the Epiphany Mass is celebrated on the nearest Sunday. In New York and Miami the parades have run for decades and draw whole neighbourhoods.
Photo: Matt Mechtley · CC BY-SA 2.0Where to see the Three Kings in US cities
Free parades and celebrations we checked on the organisers' own pages. Dates are as last held — each organiser announces the next one in December.
New York, NY
East Harlem
El Museo del Barrio Three Kings Day Parade
The city's largest and longest-running Three Kings celebration: kings, camels and sheep, giant puppets, school groups and live music up Park Avenue. Held on the morning of January 6 itself, whatever the weekday.
Last held: Tuesday, January 6, 2026, from 8:30 am (48th parade)
Williamsburg
Three Kings Day Parade of Brooklyn
A neighbourhood parade down Graham Avenue — lowrider bikes have been a favourite — with gifts handed out to children about an hour after it ends. Usually on the Sunday after January 6.
Last held: Sunday, January 11, 2026, at 2 pm (29th parade)
Miami, FL
Little Havana
Three Kings Parade on Calle Ocho
The City of Miami's own parade, a Cuban-exile tradition: floats, marching bands and the Kings down Calle Ocho, with the street closed from mid-morning. Held on a Sunday close to January 6.
Last held: Sunday, January 11, 2026 — festivities from 10 am, parade at noon
Los Angeles, CA
El Pueblo, Downtown
Día de los Reyes on Olvera Street
A free evening celebration on the city's oldest street: songs, a short procession with the Kings and a shared rosca de reyes. Held every year on January 6.
Last held: Every January 6, in the evening
Philadelphia, PA
Center City
Three Kings Day at the Kimmel Center
A free family celebration held every year by Ensemble Arts Philly with music and the Kings.
Last held: Wednesday, January 7, 2026, at 5:30 pm
Dallas, TX
Arts District edge, near Deep Ellum
Reyes Magos celebration at the Latino Cultural Center
An afternoon celebration for families at the city's Latino arts centre, held on a Saturday in early January.
Last held: Saturday, January 10, 2026, 12–3 pm
Cary (Raleigh area), NC
Downtown Cary
Día de los Reyes Parade
Run by the Diamante Arts & Cultural Center for more than twenty years: a parade and celebration of Latino culture on a Saturday in early January.
Last held: Saturday, January 10, 2026, at 1 pm (21st parade)
Questions
- Is Three Kings Day a holiday in the US?
- Not a federal one — schools and offices are open. It is a public holiday in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, and a Catholic feast day everywhere.
- What date is Three Kings Day in 2027?
- Wednesday, January 6, 2027. The gifts arrive overnight, so children put out their shoes on the evening of Tuesday, January 5.
- What food is eaten on Three Kings Day?
- Rosca de reyes with hot chocolate in Mexican families; roscón in Spanish ones; in Puerto Rico, a festive meal with pasteles and arroz con gandules. Whoever finds the baby figurine in the rosca makes tamales on February 2.
- What do children put out for the Three Kings?
- Their shoes, a letter to the Kings, and — in Puerto Rican families — a box of grass or hay for the camels, sometimes with water.