The City of Stratford and the Stratford and District Saddle Club have announced a new route around Lake Victoria for the Stratford Santa Parade of Lights Dec. 4 from 5-7 pm
After some uncertainty whether Stratford’s Santa Parade of Lights would return this year, the city announced this week it has again partnered with the Stratford and District Saddle Club to host the annual holiday season parade around Lake Victoria.
To avoid having the parade travel on or across provincial highways like Ontario, Erie and Huron streets due to safety concerns, this year’s parade will take a scenic route along the shoreline of the Avon River – known locally as Lake Victoria – in downtown Stratford. The parade will start at Hillcrest Drive and William Street, move east along William Street to Lakeside Drive North, across the Festival Bridge and then head west along Lakeside Drive before ending at the Tom Patterson Theatre.
While the need for a new route was largely prompted by council’s decision to keep parades off provincial highways after city staff raised significant concerns about volunteer safety, Stratford’s recreation manager said the “positive feedback” when a similar route was used in 2020 for a drive- thru parade of stationary floats amid the COVID-19 pandemic also played a role.
“We received so much positive feedback about how there’s lots of space for people to spread out … to watch the parade … so the event planning committee this year, which is made up of the Stratford and District Saddle Club, some community volunteers and the city , thought let’s explore the river route again but just in an expanded format moving around the entire lake,” ,” Brad Hernden said.
Like previous parades, Hernden said the committee expects roughly 50 floats to participate, with Santa and Mrs. Claus serving as the finale.
The entire parade route will be closed to traffic as of 3 pm on Dec. 4, and Hernden said city staff and volunteers will be asking residents to relocate any cars parked along the route for the duration of the parade. The parade itself is scheduled to run from 5 pm to 7 pm
Hockey fans headed to the William Allman Arena that night will be allowed access to the arena parking lot off North Street while there will be additional parking at the Tom Patterson Theatre, the Lower Queens lot off of Queen Street and Lakeside Drive, and in Upper Queen’s Park along Richard Monette Way on a first-come, first-serve basis. Public washrooms will be available at the William Allman Arena.
The hours of Stratford’s on-demand transit service will also be extended until 7:30 pm on Dec. 4 to accommodate parade-goers.
For the safety of those in attendance, parade participants will not hand out candy or other items to attendees while walking in – or across – the route will be strictly prohibited.
“We’re so excited about the opportunity for the Stratford and District Saddle Club to be part of such a wonderful community event,” club president Martin Ritsma said. “I’m looking forward to seeing and hearing all of these festive floats.”
The City of Stratford previously partnered with the Stratford and District Saddle Club to organize the city’s Canada Day Parade along a new route earlier this year after the city’s Kinsmen club, displeased with council’s decision about provincial highways, decided to stop organizing that event and the Santa Parade of Lights.
For more information about the Santa Parade of Lights, visit www.stratford.ca/en/play-here/santasparade.aspx.