This Saturday’s parade along Jasper Avenue may Claus some confusion so we’ll clear it up now.
The big guy sporting a huge beard and decked out in red is not a Calgary Stampeders linebacker, it’s Santa.
It’s a double-header this year as the CN Grey Cup Parade is being combined with Santa’s Parade of Lights.
“Our parade was originally scheduled for the week before the Grey Cup parade and we just thought why not combine them,” said Meagan Brooks, co-organizer of Santa’s Parade of Lights.
“‘Tis the season of giving to the season of team work and getting together so we figured why not combine this Grey Cup and make one big giant parade.”
The giant parade gets underway at 11:30 a.m. with football getting first billing and Santa and his crew following close behind.
It’s the first time the parades have been combined in Edmonton but not the first time it’s been done.
“I know Toronto has done it before and they’ve had really good success,” Brooks said. “So we’re hoping for a really good turnout this year.”
If parades and Christmas aren’t your thing, consider it an early gift that the two are being combined.
“Two parades in eight days is a lot to ask from people especially with small children,” Brooks said. “This way we can do it all at once. Everybody can just come to one big parade and and then we don’t have to close the road twice.”
The route, staging area and road closures for this Saturday’s parade (greycupfestival.ca)
The parade will travel east along Jasper Avenue from 108th Street to 101st Street and then north to 103rd Avenue, ending at 103rd Avenue and 103rd Street.
The parade route will be completely closed as of 10:15 on Saturday morning.
There will also be additional closures for the staging area beginning at 6:30.
The staging area includes 106th, 107th and 108th Streets between Jasper and 104th Avenues, and 102nd and 103rd Avenues between 109th and and 105th streets.
In other words, driving to the parade might not be the best option.
“Transit is always great”, Brooks said. “Then you don’t even have to worry about parking downtown.”
There is a special military viewing area for veterans at 101st street and Jasper Avenue but Brooks believes parade-goers should be able to get a good view from anywhere along the route.
“Definitely get there early and bring chairs bring, bring a blanket, I think it should be a warm weekend but you never know,” she said.
As of Wednesday afternoon the forecast indicated it will be sunny with a high of -6 C on Saturday but snow is expected the night before so Santa should be able to land his sleigh.
“He is flying in from the North Pole and he will be the finale to the whole parade,” Brooks said.
That means the youngsters will have to wait patiently as about 130 floats pass by before the big man in red arrives.
Brooks thinks the parade will wrap up by about 2:00 p.m but it will take a little longer before things return to normal.
“I would guess probably by the time everybody gets out and dispersed and everything like that, we’re guessing probably around 4 o’clock,” she said.