Even though the Santa Claus Parade has been cancelled in Orillia this year, the Chamber will instead be running a Santa Claus Comes To Town tour.
This year, on the usual parade weekend (Nov. 20 – 21), Santa will be riding a float through the streets of Orillia and surrounding communities, giving youngsters and the young at heart a chance to experience a glimpse of holiday magic from the safety of their own neighbourhood.
Santa will be escorted by an emergency vehicle with siren so that residents along his route will be alerted to his arrival in enough time to come outside to see him ride by. Details regarding Santa’s route and schedule will be published closer to the date of the event.
In addition, the Chamber is running a ‘Santa Stops Here’ program throughout the holiday season that allows businesses to book Santa for an onsite business.
The Light Up Orillia Lake Country Contest will be running again this year and will start the same weekend as the Santa Comes to Town Tour. Businesses and individuals are encouraged to take part by decorating their properties and registering at orillia.com.
Businesses that would normally have created a float for the parade are being encouraged to set up a stationary display or holiday vignette on their property. The light tour app will be expanded this year, and the displays will again be judged by popular vote. Last year over $10,000 worth of prizes were handed out, and the Chamber is working hard to secure sponsorships to make this year’s contest just as exciting.
“The Santa Claus Parade is normally the Sharing Place’s largest single source for food donations,” says Sharing Place Executive Director Chris Peacock. “There are many local families and individuals who are experiencing food insecurity, and we need the community to come together to help us support them.”
Orillia District Chamber of Commerce President and owner of Home Hardware Bill Ecklund has issued a challenge to local businesses to take part in Light Up Orillia Lake Country and collect donations for the Sharing Place.
Participating businesses will receive a donation bin and signage to collect food donations, along with recognition through Chamber social media. A video announcing the challenge has been posted on the Chamber’s YouTube channel.
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