Christmas lights and the magic of Santa Claus lit up the faces of young and old in downtown Orillia Saturday evening.
It was the first Orillia Santa Claus Parade since 2019, and the first evening parade organized by the Orillia District Chamber of Commerce (ODCC).
Doug Bunker, who helps organize the annual parade on behalf of the ODCC, says there was great energy around the parade this year.
“The night parade is a brand new thing,” he said. “With it being a new format, I think everybody was eager to come check it out.”
People of all ages started lining the downtown streets about half an hour before the 5 p.m. start of the parade to see the 70 floats and vehicles, fire trucks and, of course, Santa Claus.
“The enthusiasm is wild,” Bunker said. “People are so excited; the kids were going wild.”
Bunker says the night parade brought out the best in the creativity of local businesses, clubs, and groups who participated.
“The diversity of floats is really great,” he said. “People put a lot of work into them because they’ve been locked up for so long.”
The big man in red, Santa himself, said the atmosphere during the parade was enjoyable.
“The weather was good for it,” he said. “A lot of people are back for the first time in a couple of years and are excited to see the Santa Claus parade again.”
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Santa says there are a lot of young children who watched the parade for the first time this evening.
“I always enjoy seeing smiles from kids and adults during the parade,” he said. “I’ve missed this over the last couple of years.”
Kyla Volyea, 5, brought a letter for Santa to the parade on Friday evening.
“I love the Christmas lights,” she said. “I’m also here to give my letter to Santa.”
This year, Volyea is asking for L.O.L OMG Dolls.
Ethan Hitchins, 10, and his brother Hunter, 8, were excited to be collecting candy canes during the parade.
“This is our first time seeing the parade at night,” Hitchins explained. “It’s really cool with all the lights.”
