It's a good thing that Old Saint Nick is ageless, because for the 106th year in a row he’s coming to town early for one spectacular parade that will kick off the festive season.
The Winnipeg Santa Claus Parade takes place this Saturday, November 12, with the festivities kicking off right at 4 p.m.
It’s a massive spectacle that your whole family will fawn over featuring floats tastier than a root beer-vanilla version and enough lights to make a mini solar system. Plus, it's all being led by grand marshal Fred Penner!
All the floats will be competing in three categories, including the WOW Award for the “most outstanding and magical entry,” the three I’s Award for the most “innovative, interesting and inspirational entry,” and the AHH.. Award for the entry “whose lights, colour and sounds all come together to create the best ooh and ahh.”
In this, you can expect much wizardry, which is only fitting as this year's theme is once again "The Magic of the Season."
The big guy himself always makes an appearance at the Winnipeg Santa Claus Parade (Winnipeg Santa Claus Parade)
It all starts off with a block party, and anyone in the know knows that there ain’t no party like a Santa Claus Block Party.
This one covers 17 blocks on Portage Avenue, running from Young Street all the way to our iconic Portage and Main intersection.
During this hour-long (4 to 5 p.m.) lead-up to the parade, you and the family have the option of getting down at 10 unique block parties with activities ranging from road hockey, to salsa dancing, to seeing circus performers, to playing Quidditch (no need to bring your own broom), to free pizza!
From then, as the sky grows dark, all of Portage will be bathed in light as the floats make their way past up to 60,000 people, starting at Portage and Young and finishing off just past Portage and Main on William Stephenson Way.
With such a long route, there will be no shortage of good spots to see the floats from either side of the street, while we guarantee you won't be able to wipe the grins off your little one's faces.