Toronto 
Get ready to usher in the holiday season with the 120th edition of the Original Santa Claus Parade in Toronto.
The Original Santa Claus Parade, a hallmark of Toronto’s holiday traditions, is set to bring together people of all ages and backgrounds, celebrating hope, family, and love as it officially kicks off the Christmas season.
Scheduled for Sunday, November 24, 2024, this beloved annual event promises joy and wonder with an updated route and exciting features. The annual parade is expected to attract a whopping 750,000 attendees.
When it first started in 1905, the Original Santa Claus Parade simply featured Santa Claus travelling through downtown Toronto in a special automobile, distributing souvenirs and surprise packages to the community. This year, the parade is set to dazzle spectators with an impressive array of 26 hand-crafted floats, accompanied by dynamic marching bands, lively performers, and the ever-popular Celebrity Clowns.
Fan-favourite floats make a comeback, including the Toronto Caribbean Carnival, PRIDE Toronto, the Chinese Consulate, and the beautifully captivating Indigenous Creation Story.
2024 Parade Route:
This year’s route change aims to enhance access and spectator experience along the 2.5-hour procession.
- The festivities will begin with the 5km Holly Jolly Fun Run, which leads the Parade at 11:45 a.m.
- The Parade will commence 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
- East on Hoskin Avenue
- South on Queens Park Crescent and University Avenue
- East on Wellington Street,
- South again on Yonge Street to Front Street.
- The Parade will head east on Front Street and finish at the St. Lawrence Market at Jarvis Street.
New Floats & What is New in 2024:
- New floats include CIBC (celebrating 40 years of Miracle Day), Fitzrovia, LEGO (marking the 25th anniversary of LEGO Star Wars), McCain, Metro, McDonald’s and Tim Hortons.
- A special attraction, the “Milk and Cookies Zone” at Christie Pits, offers pre-parade festivities starting at 10 a.m., including letters to Santa, a “hype squad,” and complimentary refreshments sponsored by Tim Hortons and Circle K.
- Children’s entertainer Emma Watkins, formerly of The Wiggles, will make her Canadian debut as “Emma Memma” in this area, performing and meeting young fans before joining the parade.
For the first time, the parade will not be broadcast on television post-event but will instead be livestreamed on YouTube, allowing viewers worldwide to participate in the festivities interactively.
The event will also feature exclusive parade merchandise available for purchase starting November 7 through Peace Collective, including the highly sought-after Parade toque previously reserved for volunteers.
Royal Canadian Air Cadets will be selling fun Rudolph-inspired red noses for $3.00 at Union Station in advance of the Parade and along the Parade Route, and at TTC stations across the city on Parade day. The Red Nose Drive supports the parade and the Royal Canadian Air Cadets.
This year’s corporate sponsors include major entities like Canadian Tire, CIBC, and McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada. The parade is made possible through the collaboration of sponsors, partners, and volunteers, continuing a tradition which began over a century ago with sponsorship from the T. Eaton Company.
Parade on TV? I am unable to attend.