When Santa Claus comes to Town this Saturday, November 19th you can be sure that people of all ages will line the streets of Downtown and Kerr Village to see the many displays of Christmas spirit featured in the Parade! The theme of Oakville’s 68th annual Parade is “A Magical, Musical Christmas,” and encourages everyone in Oakville to think about the many sounds and songs that inspire the Christmas tradition for each of us throughout the holiday season.
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 22nd 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 $40,000 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 Honourary Grand Marshall nine year old Maya Haggag 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 Neil McNeil High School Drumline, 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 year the Parade will take its Social Media Contest to the next level! We want to be much more interactive and engaging, so we will be live-tweeting from the Parade, choosing our favourite photos right as they are posted throughout the morning, and awarding the 10 $100 RioCan Oakville Place gift cards to 10 winners during the Parade. To win, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram @OakvilleParade, and tag us in your photos with the hashtag #OakvilleSantaClausParade. 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 to see Elf at either 11:15am or 1:30pm or to see It’s A Wonderful Life at 11:45am. In lieu of admission, theatre goers are asked to bring a donation of food to support the food bank.
Volunteer
Do you know a great photographer who would enjoy hanging out with Santa and his many volunteers on Parade Day? The Parade is looking for a talented and energetic official volunteer photographer to capture all the magic of Parade morning to share on its website, in its advertising and in Parade history for years to come. If you or someone you know loves to take photos and be a special part of our community, please contact the Parade at [email protected].
Transit & Parking
Celebrating its 68th anniversary year, the Oakville Santa Claus Parade is a cherished tradition in our Town. The 2016 Parade takes place Saturday, November 19th , 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 5 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 11:30am, courtesy of Oakville Transit.
Be sure to watch the special Parade coverage on TVCogeco after the Parade at one of the four scheduled air times: Saturday, November 19 at 9:00am; Saturday, November 19 at 7:00pm; Sunday, November 20 at 12:00 noon; and Monday, November 21 at 7:00pm.
For general information about the Parade, visit our website at www.oakvillesantaclausparade.ca. Follow us @OakvilleParade on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and be sure to share your Parade day memories with us using the hashtag #OakvilleSantaClausParade!