Toronto 
Toronto Santa Claus Parade is back for its 121st edition kicking off Christmas and holiday celebrations in Toronto this Sunday.
Toronto Santa Claus Parade
One of the oldest Santa Claus Parades in the country, which began in 1905, will return to the streets this Sunday, November 23rd, featuring colourful, larger-than-life floats, magical characters, special performances by some amazing artists, celebrity clowns and Mrs. Claus and Santa.
Contents:
- Parade Route
- Parade Floats & What’s New
- Road Closures & Parking Restrictions
- TTC Route Diversions
Parade Route:
The 2.5-hour Parade will start at 12:30 pm at Christie Pits, located at 750 Bloor Street West.
It will proceed east along Bloor Street to St. George Street, continue south on St. George, and then east on Hoskin Avenue. Next, it will make its way south on Queens Park Crescent and University Avenue, then east on Wellington Street, and south again on Yonge Street to Front Street.
Finally, the Parade will head east on Front Street and finish at the St. Lawrence Market at Jarvis Street.
Before the parade begins, those who line up the parade route can cheer the 5k Holly Jolly Fun Run participants who are ‘dressed silly’ starting at 11:45 am. The run follows the parade route starting from 625 Bloor St W. between Palmerston Ave. and Euclid Ave., to begin their journey along the Parade route to the finish line at Yonge and Wellington.
Toronto’s official tree lighting ceremony, Cavalcade of Lights, will return on November 29th.
Parade Floats & Parade Day Fun:
This year’s Parade will feature 27 beautifully decorated floats, lively bands, spirited marchers, and Celebrity Clowns.
- Exciting new floats debut this year, featuring creative designs from LEGO, Nintendo of Canada, Nutella, and Uncle Tetsu. Parade-goers can also look forward to returning favourites like the Toronto Caribbean Carnival, the Indigenous Creation Story, and the crowd-pleasing Celebrity Clowns, bringing energy and joy throughout the entire parade route.
- This year’s parade will be filled with festive cheer and unforgettable performances from top musical groups. Enjoy the sounds of holiday magic from marching bands, drumlines, and cultural ensembles, including the Queen’s University Pipes and Drums, University of Western Ontario Marching Band, Philippine Heritage Band, Toronto All Stars Steel Orchestra, Mariachi Los Gallos, and many more spectacular acts!
- Royal Canadian Air Cadets will be selling fun Rudolph-inspired red noses along the parade route and at Union Station on Friday,
November 21 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday, November 22 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. - The Treats Zone: Start your parade day at the Treats Zone, the official pre-party, kicking off at 10:00 a.m. at Christie Pits! Enjoy free family fun including Santa letter-writing, candy canes from Sharp Bus Lines, Tim Hortons coffee and hot chocolate, photo ops with a giant Tims cup, cheesecake from Uncle Tetsu, and more.
- Celebrate the season at Queen’s Park North with a full lineup of festive fun! Enjoy Tim Hortons hot drinks, Nutella cookies, a cozy McDonald’s café experience, and more.
Don’t forget to bring a new unwrapped toy for donation through Desjardins. You can also support the Santa Claus Parade in style with exclusive P/C x Santa Claus Parade merchandise from Peace Collective, available for purchase with proceeds going directly to the Parade. Plus, the popular 50/50 raffle returns at 5050santa.com
Road Closures & Parking Restrictions:
Toronto Police will be closing the parade route to traffic starting at the following times. The road closures will last until approximately 6:00 p.m.
Estimated road closure times for the parade are as follows:
- Bloor Street West, from Ossington Avenue to Christie Street, at 7 a.m.
- Bloor Street West, from Christie Street to Avenue Road, at 9:30 a.m.
- Spadina Avenue, from Lowther Avenue to Willcocks Street, at 11 a.m.
- St. George Street, from Prince Arthur to College Street, at 11a.m.
- Hoskin Avenue, from St George Street to Queen’s Park Crescent, at 11 a.m.
- Queen’s Park Crescent from Bloor Street West to College Street, at 11 a.m.
- College Street from Beverley Street to Bay Street, at 11 a.m.
- University Avenue, from College Street to Dundas Street, at 11 a.m.
- Dundas Street West, from McCaul Street to Bay Street, at 11 a.m.
- University Avenue, from Dundas Street West to Front Street, at 11 a.m.
- Queen Street West from Duncan Street to Bay Street, at 11 a.m.
- Adelaide Street from Duncan Street to University Ave, at 11 a.m.
- King Street West from Simcoe Street to York Street, at 11 a.m.
- Front Street West from Simcoe Street to Sherbourne Street, at 11 a.m.
- Wellington Street West, from University Avenue to Jarvis Street, at 11 a.m.
- Wellington Street West, from Yonge Street to Church Street, at 10 a.m.
- Bay Street, from King Street to Lakeshore Boulevard West, at 11 a.m.
- Yonge Street from King Street to Lakeshore Boulevard, at 11 a.m.
- Front Street, from Bay Street to Jarvis Street, at 11:00 a.m.
- Jarvis Street from King Street East to Lakeshore Boulevard East, at 11:00 a.m.
Toronto Police will tow vehicles parked along the parade route starting at 6 a.m. on Sunday, November 23. Drivers may flag down an officer to find out the location of their vehicle or call 416-808-1400 if they were parked west of Spadina Avenue, 416-808-5100 if they were parked east of Yonge Street, and 416-808-5200 if they were parked in between.
Paid parking is available at designated lots near the route.
TTC Route Diversions:
Santa Claus Parade will cause various route diversions on November 23rd.
Check back for details once the TTC has made an official announcement.
