When Santa Claus comes to Town Saturday, November 21st you can be sure that people of all ages will line the streets of Downtown Oakville and Kerr Village to see the many displays of Christmas spirit featured in this year’s Parade! The theme of Oakville’s 67th annual Parade is “Christmas in Motion,” and encourages everyone in Oakville to think about the many activities, events and traditions that keep us moving during the holiday season.
This year’s Christmas in Motion theme honours 2015 as the ‘Year of Sport’ in Canada and celebrates our recent local hosting of the Pan Am/Para Pan Am Games. And while he knows that we will all be busy with holiday preparations and obligations, Santa wants to remind us that the holidays are about more than that.
As Santa rides through downtown Oakville and heralds the start of the Christmas season in Oakville, he encourages everyone to think of those less fortunate during the holiday season. Sometimes we get so caught up with the excitement of Christmas that we forget that there are many who live in our community who go without over the holidays. Oakville’s Santa Claus Parade has a long history of giving with its toy and food drives and the sale of red noses for charity to make our community a better place for those less fortunate.
Both the Kinsmen Club of Oakville and the Professional Fire Fighters will kickstart the Parade by accepting your donations of spare change, canned goods and new, unwrapped toys. Gifts for older children are especially needed. The Parade reminds those bringing gifts to not forget children over the age of 12.
Last year, the Kinsmen collected a record number of donations for the Salvation Army! The Fun Group of Families and Friends of Falgarwood are celebrating their 21st year of selling noses for charity at the Parade. What started as a group of fun-loving clowns enjoying the Parade with their children has grown year after year and they hope to boost their total proceeds to well over $35,000 this year. Dressed as clowns, this group sells their famous “red noses” on Parade Day for $2, with all proceeds this year supporting Wellspring-Halton. Make sure when purchasing your nose, you get it from these clowns as they are the only group sanctioned by the Parade for red nose sales. They are easily identified by their red sweatshirts or red aprons.
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. Sharing the carriage with Mrs. Claus will be 10 year old Sophie Dowd, this year’s Parade colouring contest winner.
No visit from Santa would be complete without marching bands playing and this year’s line-up will definitely provide entertainment for all ages as they sing along to their favourite Christmas carols.
The Halton Regional Police Service Pipes & Drums, dressed in their traditional Chisholm tartan, will once again lead off the Santa Claus Parade. Returning this year are the ever- popular Optimists Alumni Drum Corps, Magnolia Brass Band, and the Top Hat Marching Orchestra from Burlington. This group has been entertaining audiences with its musical talent since 1982 and is always a Parade favourite. Heralding the arrival of Santa, the award-winning Top Hats are sure to bring a smile to your face as they bring their unique style to the Oakville Parade.
“This is one of our best line-ups ever of marching bands,” said Val Blackwell, Band Coordinator for the Oakville Santa Claus Parade. “Be ready to sit back, tap your toes and be entertained by some of the finest musicians in North America.”
New this year, all Parade goers and participants are invited to enter the Parade’s social media photo contest to win a $250 gift card from RioCan Oakville Place! The Parade hash tag is #OakvilleSantaClausParade and we will be live tweeting all morning. The best Parade picture using that hash tag as chosen by the Parade committee will win one of two $250 RioCan gift cards. And don’t forget to vote online after the Parade for the People’s Choice award for best band and best entry on our website, www.oakvillesantaclausparade.ca.
The tradition of giving back continues with Film.ca presenting special screenings of two holiday classics after Saturday’s Parade. Please join Film.ca after the Parade at either 11:30am or 1:30pm to see A Christmas Story or celebrate the 25th anniversary of Home Alone at 11:45am or 2:00pm. In lieu of admission, theatre goers are asked to bring a donation of food to support the Oak Park Neighbourhood Centre’s Food Drive or a new, unwrapped toy for the Kerr Village Toys for Tots toy drive.
Celebrating its 67th anniversary year, the Oakville Santa Claus Parade is a cherished tradition in our Town. The 2015 Parade takes place Saturday, November 21st , beginning at 9 am at Lakeshore Road and Reynolds, going west on Lakeshore to Kerr Street, north on Kerr and ending at Kerr and Stewart Street. Don’t worry about parking – take advantage of the free Santa Shuttle, running every 10 minutes from the Oakville GO station and stopping at all regular stops along Reynolds to the Church/Dunn bus terminal. The first Shuttle leaves Oakville Go at 8:00am with the last leaving Church/Dunn terminal at 11:25am, courtesy of Oakville Transit.