NEWS RELEASE
ORILLIA DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
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The Orillia Santa Claus Parade, presented by Eagle Landscaping and Norscape Landscape and Pond Depot, will march though downtown Orillia beginning at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23.
The parade is organized by the Orillia District Chamber of Commerce (ODCC) and would not be possible without the support of parade sponsors and members of the ODCC.
Planning has been ongoing for several months and this year’s parade is set to be one of the biggest and brightest in recent memory, with 100 floats signed up to participate. On the eve of the event, organizers have a few reminders for attendees:
- The parade will depart from the eCapital parking lot at Queen Street and West Street. eCapital has for the past three years generously donated use of its parking lot for parade staging purposes. The parade route travels through downtown Orillia along Colborne Street West and Mississaga Street before returning via Front Street to its departure point. A map showing the route is posted at www.orillia.com/santa-claus-parade. Attendees are encouraged to refer to the map when planning where to go to view the parade and should note that the parade does not travel along Colborne Street East between Front Street and West Street.
- Toromont Cat has partnered with The Sharing Place Food Centre to collect food donations along the parade route. Parade spectators who are able to are asked to bring a healthy food item to help fill a ‘dozer load’ of donations for the food centre.
- The Canadian Union of Postal Workers will be collecting letters for Santa. Letters can be addressed to Santa Claus, North Pole, H0H 0H0, Canada, and should include a return address.
- The Kiwanis Bucket Brigade will be marching with the floats collecting monetary donations. Donations go toward covering the parade costs.
- The Laundry Lounge will be collecting gently used coats for its winter coat drive. Coats will be cleaned and donated to those in need in the community.
- Parking will be limited: While some on-street and municipal lot parking will be available, certain areas will be unavailable due to street closures. Those attending the parade should plan to leave extra time when arriving to allow for parking and are encouraged to consider alternatives where possible such as carpooling, active transportation, or public transportation. The City of Orillia has partnered with Tim Hortons to provide free transit rides from 3:45 p.m. until 4:45 p.m., and again from 7:15 p.m. until 8:45 p.m.
- The parade will go ahead at its scheduled time regardless of weather.
- Parking restrictions will begin along the parade route in the early afternoon, and street closures will take effect prior to the parade start time at 5 p.m. Public transit service will be paused between 4:45 p.m. and 7:15 p.m.
The parade is not the only reason to visit downtown Orillia this weekend: On Friday and Saturday there will be an abundance of Christmas excitement.
The Children’s Candlelight Parade and official tree-lighting ceremony take place on Friday evening, and there will be an artisan market running both days. The market will feature a fantastic selection of locally crafted items, with vendors located in the opera house, library, and Creative Nomad Studios. Details of the downtown Christmas market are available at www.orilliachristmasmarket.ca.
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