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The Kiwanis Club of Owen Sound has announced details of its 76th Consecutive Santa Claus Parade.
Last year, the club could only host a stationary parade that saw hundreds of families drive through the Bayshore Community Centre parking lot to view stationary floats.
This year marks the return of the more familiar parade, with a different start time than usual. It is set to take place Saturday, November 20th at 5 p.m. in downtown Owen Sound. The route will begin near the intersection of 11th Street East & 2nd Avenue East (Metro Grocery Store), travels south toward City Hall and turns east (left) at the intersection of 8th Street East and 2nd Avenue East, ending at 3rd Avenue East.
The change in time will also tie into the City of Owen Sound’s kickoff of the Festival of Northern Lights immediately afterwards.
Club past President Andrew Drury says in a statement, “We never imagined a year without some sort of celebration,” adding We knew that the parade was important to families, and staging a drive-through event showed us just how much. At the time it was the best we could do, but this year allows us to go back to our traditional route.”
The Kiwanis Club first sponsored the Owen Sound Santa Claus Parade in 1945, and has put one on each year since.
This year’s theme is “Back to the Past.”
The parade is being organized with the input of the Grey Bruce Public Health Unit, and the Kiwanis Club says it will proceed only if the conditions are right at the time.
This year will also feature two local celebrities as a part of the festivities the CBC’s Heather Hiscox and Bayshore Broadcasting’s Fred Wallace. Heather was born and raised in Owen Sound and is now a well known news anchor and former Miss Teen Canada. Fred is a local media personality who is especially well known to sports enthusiasts in our region. Each will help bring in the holiday season.
As the parade date gets closer, the Kiwanis Club says more details will be released about community guidelines including how children can bring letters to Santa or how to make donations to the Salvation Army Food Drive.
For more details or to register to participate, visit owensoundsantaparade.com. The club says all registrations will be done online this year.
Families are also reminded that the Owen Sound Kiwanis Club will be selling Christmas Trees again this year beginning November 27th. Proceeds from the sales of trees will support the activities and community contributions by the Kiwanis Club.
