Santa Claus is coming to town today
Published Saturday November 28th, 2009
Christmas | Santa Claus Parade starts at 5 p.m.
Fredericton's Santa Claus Parade is following a new route this year, but parade chairman Arden Doak says none of its beloved traditions have changed.
"It might be a little different this year," Doak said. "Overall it hasn't changed, though. Santa Claus will definitely still be there."
The Santa Claus Parade route alternates between the south side and the north side every year.
This year, the parade will follow a different route than it normally does along Fredericton's north side.
It will begin at Nashwaaksis Middle School today at 5 p.m., turn left on Fulton Avenue and then right onto Main Street. It will then head right onto Brookside Drive and cross Ring Road, finishing at Brookside Mall.
The route was changed because the previous course, which passed by Main Street and Brookside Drive, created traffic congestion. It also made it difficult for emergency vehicles to travel to or from the north side.
The new route won't affect traffic on the Westmorland Street Bridge.
Doak is a member of the Nashwaaksis Kinsmen, the group that organizes the event each year.
He said almost 60 floats will participate in this year's parade. They will be decorated to go with the theme of Christmas traditions and cultures.
Representatives from the Fredericton Food Bank will collect non-perishable food items. Donations will also be accepted for Operation Keep the Change, a fundraising effort that benefits the Salvation Army, the Fredericton Community Kitchen and the Fredericton Food Bank.
Letter carriers will collect letters to Santa Claus.
Environment Canada's weather forecast predicts showers will become mixed with flurries late in the day.
Doak said the Santa Claus Parade is a great way to kick off the holiday season.
"It's for anyone who's a kid at heart - whether they're young or old," he said. "I think everyone will be in a festive mood. This is the start of the Christmas season."
Disabled
Search Articles
More CE Network Sites & Partners:
Comments (2)
All comments are subject to the site Terms of Use. For a full commenting tutorial click here.
Our editorial team relies on filtering technology and our visitor community to identify inappropriate comments. In the event that a site user has submitted offensive content that has evaded our filter, please select the option to Flag As Inappropriate presented within the comment. Thank you for helping to keep this site clean.