Big crowds welcome 108th annual Santa Claus Parade
Posted November 18, 2012 8:46 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
An estimated one million people descended on Toronto’s downtown core to welcome Jolly Old St. Nick to town Sunday at the 108th annual Santa Claus Parade.
The parade kicked off at 12:30 p.m.
With 28 floats and 22 bands moving through the downtown core, it’s the largest children’s parade in North America.
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“There will be 2,500 volunteers taking part in the parade,” said Peter Beresford, president of the Santa Claus Parade.
The forecast for Sunday calls for morning clouds, followed by a mix of sun and cloud for the afternoon with a high near 9 C.
One parade float celebrates the 100th edition of the Grey Cup.
“We’ve got a 14-foot replica of the Grey Cup and a huge football player,” CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon said.
Mrs. Claus, who will be joining Santa at the parade, says you can follow the big man on his route using a special app.
“You can download it from the Santa Claus Parade website, and you can see exactly where Santa is,” Mrs. Claus said.
It’s also a good time for kids to bring their letters for Santa.
“Just write to Santa Claus at the North Pole, HOHOHO,” Beresford said.
The parade starts at Bloor and Christie streets, heads along Bloor Street to University Avenue, down to Wellington Street and ends at St. Lawrence Market at Front and Jarvis streets.
The route map and more details are posted on the Santa Claus Parade website.
GO Transit is running extra service on all of its train lines. Click here for details. In addition, a flat rate pass is available. For $20, a group pass allows five people to ride all day.
