Text and photos by Sonya Davidson
We were invited to get a sneak peek at Santa's Secret Workshop yesterday as Mr. & Mrs. Claus, along with their elves, were busy putting on the final touches to the colourful floats and costumes! On November 16th, Toronto plays host to the 110th annual Santa Claus Parade.
Thousands of kids and families line the streets of the city and millions watch worldwide. It's touted is the largest outdoor entertainment event for families in Canada. Over 30 floats and 21 marching bands will make this the biggest parade in Canadian history thanks to the new community partnership with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE).
"In July, I was proud to announce our new partnership with MLSE," said Peter Beresford, Santa Claus Parade President.
"We call this a community partnership because of all the work they've done. They are helping us as volunteers. Their senior people have committed hundreds of hours to the parade to help make this happen. They've not only brought in new sponsors to the parade, but they are arranging the 5k Holly Jolly Run and they've created a new pre-parade festival."
Two fun apps are available for free download that will no doubt enhance the parade experience. Jingle Bells, will create that magical and distinct sound of Santa's bells at the shake of your device and Tracking Santa will give parade go-ers the ability to see just where Santa is along the parade route...this will surely come in handy when your kids need to make the mad dash to the nearest washroom!
Santa Cam will also return. Located at the back of Santa's float on two poles, the camera will take images every two seconds creating thousands of snapshots of the crowds lining the parade route. Families are invited to visit the Santa Claus Parade website after the parade to find their images and print them out as a keepsake.
The Santa Claus Parade is on November 16th starting at 12:30 pm. Viewers can also watch teh parade and exclusive holiday greetings on demand at CTV.ca/SantaClausParade and the CTV Go App. For all the details on the parade route, to register for the Holly Jolly Fun Run, visit thesantaclausparade.ca