Once again the time for Christmas shopping, baking and the gathering of family and friends will soon be upon us, as the thoughts of Oakvillians young and young at heart gradually turn toward a visit from the big guy himself. Yes, Santa Claus will soon be making his yearly ride down the streets of Oakville in his great red sleigh!
The Oakville Santa Claus Parade Committee has been as busy as elves over the summer preparing for this year's 68th Parade, which takes place Saturday, November 19, 2016. This year's theme, A Magical, Musical Christmas, celebrates the sounds, memories and traditions we all hold dear each holiday season. This year’s Parade theme invites participants and attendees to think about all the special songs and magical moments that mean Christmas to us.
The Parade is now accepting applications for float and walking group entries and encourages all those in the community to show their creativity by participating in this year's event. Businesses and community groups are encouraged to participate as well as local schools, who will have to wrestle the title away from White Oaks Secondary School, the winner of last year’s Best School Float award. All Oakville schools are invited to get involved and compete for the title of Best School Float. Schools can also compete for the overall grand prize of $500 for the group that can top the rest!
Entry forms and rules can be found on the Parade website www.oakvillesantaclausparade.ca by clicking on Registration. The deadline for entries is Monday, October 31, 2016, or the first 50 entries, whichever comes first.
Whether it’s a favourite memory, movie, experience, emotion or tradition, Parade registrants are asked to capture what a Magical, Musical Christmas means to them with their entry. We all look forward to the Parade and for 68 years it has signalled the beginning of the holiday season for those young and young at heart in Oakville. For the littlest ones, it’s all new and amazing and for our seniors, each Parade brings back many years of memories, joy, tradition and community.
The Oakville Claus Parade is pleased to launch its annual colouring contest, created again this year by award-winning cartoonist Steve Nease, well-known for his entertaining Pud cartoons. Children between the ages of five and 10 will have the chance to win the seat beside Mrs. Claus in the beautifully decorated Cinderella carriage throughout the Parade route. Children ages three and four will have the chance to win a special prize just for their age group!
The colouring contest artwork is posted on the Parade website and will appear in an upcoming edition of the Oakville Beaver. Kids, hurry and get your markers and crayons out because the colouring contest runs only until November 6th at 4:30pm. Winners will be notified November 12, 2016. For contest rules and to download your entry form, check out the Santa website at www.oakvillesantaclausparade.ca.
Once again, Oakville will welcome Mrs. Claus as the Parade Grand Marshall. Mrs. Claus is well known for keeping Santa Claus on his toes throughout the year, making sure all the toys are made in time for Christmas, the reindeer are in shape for flying and Santa’s suit is shiny red for his Christmas Eve adventures. She is looking forward to seeing familiar faces in the Oakville crowd as this is her 10th visit to Oakville for the Parade.
New this year thanks to RioCan Oavkille Place, the Parade is hosting a social media contest for best tagged photos at the Parade. More information can be found at http://bit.ly/2e5GK1C. Post your Parade photos and videos for a chance to win 1 of 10 $100 RioCan gift certificates to Oakville Place Mall.
The Parade committee is always looking for volunteers who can perform a number of duties on Parade Day. If you are interested in volunteering please email [email protected].
The 2016 Parade takes place Saturday, November 19, 2016 beginning at 9 am. The Parade will start at Lakeshore Road and Reynolds, go west on Lakeshore to Kerr Street, north on Kerr and end at Kerr and Stewart Streets. For more information on the Oakville Santa Claus Parade, visit www.oakvillesantaclausparade.ca