of Toronto The original Santa Claus parade Aiming to spread holiday cheer to an estimated 750,000 viewers, the show is set to celebrate its 120th year on Sunday. The six kilometer parade will feature 27 handmade floats and over 2,000 performers.
Original Santa Claus Parade Board of Directors Chairman David McCarthy enthused about the event, saying, “We look forward to bringing the magic to the city of Toronto again this year,” as quoted by CBC News.
Pre-parade activities
Festivities will begin at 10 a.m. at Christy Pits, where children can write letters to Santa, enjoy cookies and watch Wiggles star Emma Memma perform before joining the parade.
At 11:45 a.m., the Holly Jolly Run—a five-kilometer race with about 2,000 participants—will kick off the day. Mayor Olivia Chow will provide remarks, officially opening the parade at 12:15 p.m.
parade route
The parade, which starts at Christie Pits at 12:30 p.m., will follow a modified six kilometer route due to construction. The procession will head east along Bloor Street, south down St George Street and through the city before ending at St Lawrence Market around 3pm.
Where to look?
The parade will be live-streamed on the Santa Claus Parade YouTube channel, providing an alternative to traditional television broadcasts.
The Original Santa Claus Parade – Live Broadcast (November 24, 2024)
Traffic Advisory
Toronto police have announced road closures starting at 7 a.m., and will reopen by 6 p.m. The TTC will increase subway and streetcar services along the route, and special GO train service will run on the Milton Line.
Road closure
7:00 am
- Bloor Street W (Ossington Avenue to Christie Street)
10:00 am
- Bloor Street W (Christie Street to Avenue Road)
11:30 am
- Spadina Road (Lowther Avenue to Wilcox Street)
- Harbord Street (Spadina Road to Queen’s Park Crescent)
- St George Street (Prince Arthur to College Street)
- Hoskin Avenue (St. George Street to Queen’s Park Crescent)
- Queen’s Park Crescent (Bloor Street W to College Street)
- College Street (Beverly Street to Bay Street) University Avenue (College Street to Dundas Street)
- Dundas Street W (McColl Street to Bay Street)
- University Avenue (Dundas Street W to Front Street)
- Queen Street W (Duncan Street to Bay Street)
- Adelaide Street (Duncan Street to University Avenue)
- King Street W (Simcoe Street to York Street)
- Front Street W (Simcoe Street to Sherborne Street)
- Wellington Street W (University Avenue to Jarvis Street)
12:30 PM
- Bay Street (King Street to Lakeshore Boulevard W)
- Yonge Street (King Street to Lakeshore Boulevard)
- Front Street (Bay Street to Jarvis Street)
- Jarvis Street (King Street E. to Lakeshore Boulevard E)
- Esplanade (Yong Street to Jarvis Street)
Funding challenges
While the parade’s milestone anniversary brings excitement, organizers warn that its future is uncertain due to dwindling sponsorships and rising costs. A $250,000 funding gap remains for this year’s event.
A GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $125,000 as of Sunday, and pledges of federal support from the city, province and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have given hope to recent contributions. However, McCarthy stressed the need for continued community and corporate support to secure future parades.