Traditional parade down main street in Bonnyville being held for Santa Claus

It’s a Christmas miracle! Santa Claus will make his way down Main Street.

After consulting with local Health Officials, the Town of Bonnyville has decided to do a traditional parade that will see Santa Claus and all the floats make their way down main street.

“We’re so excited that we’re able to get back to a regular parade after we had to cancel it last year,” expressed parade organizer Doreen Kushnir.

Town of Bonnyville Mayor Elisa Brosseau added, “Council is excited to be able to walk the float down main street so all the kids and families can kick start Christmas holidays and see Santa.”

The event will still be happening on Friday, Dec. 10. The route will be the usual one, with floats starting at the Player’s Lounge on main street and making their way to the Bonnyville and District Centennial Centre.

Originally, the Town didn’t think it was possible to organize a parade that would ensure the safety of attendees and those involved with the event. Town administration reached out to the local Health Officials and asked for clarification on the mandates surrounding parades.

“The Town knew how important it was to families to be able to have a bit of normalcy at Christmas after the last couple of years,” noted Robynne Henry, Communications Coordinator for the Town. “We just ask that families social distance from those outside of their cohorts and enjoy the event as safely as possible.”

Registration is still open for local organizations and groups that would like to include a float in the parade. Those interested in participating have until Wednesday, Dec. 8 to send in their registration form, which can be found on the Town of Bonnyville Facebook page or at town.bonnyville.ab.ca.

Kushnir described the response as “overwhelmingly great.”

“We’ve had so many submissions so far! We extended the deadline to make sure that everyone who wants to participate can,” she added.

The parade will begin at 5:00 p.m. on Dec. 10 with floats beginning to line up at 4:00 p.m.