Santa Claus returns for parade 121 in Toronto.
Christmas is around the corner and that means the big man is coming to town.
As Santa and his elves prepared for the holiday season, he’ll be making a trip to Toronto on Nov. 23, as the annual Santa Claus Parade returns for year 121. The parade starts at 12:30 p.m., at Christie Pits and ends at St. Lawrence Market.
With the issues of funding being raised just a year ago – and the current parade just over a week away – Santa notes how much work goes into putting this event together including the immense coordination across the city.
“For example, just simply establishing what floats are going to be in in the parade based upon sponsorships and some of the legacy floats that continue on, so that they will continue. So floats may be decided by who the sponsor is, and what that sponsor and the parade decide the float will look like. So, there’s a lot of design issues that go into the float, and then there is all kinds of work by artisans in the workshop who have to construct that float based upon what the discussion has been.,” said Santa.
He adds that ensuring the volunteers and participants are set, coordination with the police, fire and TTC, and even weather preparations all go into planning for the parade.
With the merriment of the season bringing up all kinds of feelings for those getting ready to celebrate, Santa reflects on some of the things to which he looks forward during each parade.
“The most special moment for me is being able to craft a message of hope and support and to encourage people to give of one another, as opposed to just simply taking so being able to sort of sort of have that message and have people sort of acknowledge it is probably the most important thing I could ever, ever wish for. The other thing, and it’s more individual, and that is that I meet people all the time, just individuals who, when I’m waiting to get on the sleigh, or I’m maybe at the other end, I have or even leading up to the parade, at many of the events that I attend to, it’s the individual conversations that I have with people who reflect on what Christmases past meant for them, and there may be some sadness to that, or, you know that, that there may be, you know, some they’ve lost this year, or there may be sort of a hope that they have for The following for the next year. So those individual kinds of conversations are incredibly important,”
In addition to the parade, the Holly Jolly Fun Run is set to return as a way to kick off the day’s festivities. The annual 5-kilometre run starts 45 minutes before the parade and will see upwards of 2,000 people participate in this fundraising event.
If you’re interested in watching the parade you can enjoy the magic of the season in-person along the route. Those who don’t want to be outside can view the parade on Citytv.
For more information visit www.TheSantaClausParade.com.
