Santa’s Parade of Lights

• Tweet

• Tweet

Santa’s Parade of Lights – November 25, 2012
Take part in one of Southern Ontario’s best Santa Claus parades. This parade will take place in the evening, and floats are to be to illuminated and decorated as best as possible. Parade organizers hope you will decorate your float around the holiday season. Prizes will be awarded to floats in the following categories, and will be named on the TV broadcast:

Best Illuminated Float
Community Group (non-profit) $50 prize & Corporate/Commercial $50 prize

Most Creative Float Design Community Group (non-profit)
Community Group (non-profit) $50 prize & Corporate/Commercial $50 prize

Click here to review the parade agenda, rules, and contact information.

The parade float application closed on November 14, 2012.

For those already confirmed in the parade, but have not yet paid,  payment can be made by cash or cheque, with cheques payable to the “City of Stratford”.

$50 for Corporate/Private Groups
$25 for Community Groups

To mail payment, please use the following address:

Santa’s Parade of Lights
c/o Brad Hernden
P.O. Box 874
Stratford, ON  N5A 6W3

To drop off payment, please do so at the Kiwanis Community Centre main office, 111 Lakeside Drive, Stratford.

Float Order
The float order for Sunday, November 25, 2012 has been set, and is outlined below.  Marshaling will begin around 4:30pm, and floats are asked to line up in the following sections:

Floats 1-12, please meet in front of the Allman Arena.
Floats 13-29, please enter at Front Street, stopping at Morenz Drive
Floats 30-46, please enter at Queen Street, stopping at Front Street
Floats 47- 69, please enter Parkview Drive onto Snake Hill, and gather along Lakeside Drive; #47-57 on the north & 58-69 on the south.

list updated Nov 23, 2012 at 10:00am.

Parade Agenda

4:30-5:00pm
Carolling at City Hall, with free refreshments served by the Optimist Club of Stratford and Tim Hortons.  Floats will be marshalled along Lakeside Drive, starting at the Allman Arena.

4:50pm
Floats make their way from the Kiwanis Community Centre to City Hall.

5:00pm
First float arrives at City Hall.

5:45pm
Santa and his reindeer will arrive as the final float in the parade.

Parade Rules & Expectations

1. Please get your entry in on time. Late entries make it difficult for the parade marshals to include them.
2. Lakeside Drive will become a one-way (westerly) street at 3:00 p.m. the day of the parade.
3. A week prior to the event, organizers will post your float location in the parade at www.stratfordcommunity.ca. Please check this website daily up until the event day, for any changes to your place in the the parade order.
4. Marching groups will congregate around Allman Arena and the Kiwanis Centre prior to the parade.
5. Float drivers will find their number posted on a stick on the side of Lakeside Drive and will be pointed westerly ready to begin by 4:30 PM. Marshals will be there to assist you.
6. The front of the parade will start moving at 4:50 PM, up Morenz Drive to Ontario Street, left on Downie, past City Hall, and ending by the YMCA.
7. Santa Claus should not be riding on any float except the final Santa float.
8. If you wish to hand out candy during the parade, try to avoid throwing it on the street.
9. This parade will be telecast live on Rogers, who will be set up at City Hall. Parade entries may be interviewed.
10. When the parade ends at the YMCA, there will be five different streets to disperse our floats. Drivers of floats will be advised of their dispersal street when marshalling prior to the parade.For more information on this program, please contact:

Parade Coordinator
T: 519-272-9322
E: donaldcockwell@sympatico.ca