Santa Parade set for Saturday

Daily Herald file photo. Santa waves to the crowd during the 2023 Santa Parade. The 2024 edition is scheduled for Saturday, with the Community Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony scheduled for Dec. 4.

Uko Akpanuko

Daily Herald

Prince Albert residents will once again have the opportunity to enjoy the annual Santa Parade on Saturday starting at 11 a.m.

The Santa Parade is the first of two major family Christmas events planned for the downtown. The other is the Community Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 4 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in Memorial Square.
These Christmas events have been put together by the Prince Albert Downtown Business Improvement District along with their partners.
“The level of excitement and joy that the Santa Parade creates for the Children of our City is just magical,” the Executive Director, Prince Albert Downtown Business Improvement District Rhonda Trusty said.

I actually teared up walking behind Santa’s sleigh saying ‘Santa I love you, Merry Christmas’ and leaving, and just joyful. It is something that needs to be experienced and I encourage our community and our businesses and our organizations to take part in the magic of our kickoff to Christmas.”

There will be music before the Santa Parade, providing a magical atmosphere for all to enjoy.
“I have reached out to a couple of our local churches, Calvary United Church and Bethel Christian Fellowship is joining us and they will be singing Christmas carols prior to the parade starting just for some lively entertainment  and to get everybody into the event of the day,” Trusty said.

There will be no changes to this year’s Santa Parade. Entrants will start off at Ninth Street and Central Avenue as they did in 2023.

“I think it’s an opportunity for people to have that sense of community,” Trusty said when asked why the parade was so popular. “It’s an opportunity for them to take their child to an even that is free. It’s always wonderful to see the effort that some of our participants put into their floats.”

This year’s Community Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony is sponsored by the Beau ‘Lac’ Funeral Home in partnership with the City of Prince Albert. Trusty said the free, family-friendly event is the perfect way to kick off the holiday season and celebrate the spirit of community.
The main event is the lighting of the big evergreen beside City Hall at 7 p.m. The event will also include songs from the Prince Albert Children’s Choir, and activities like Santa letter writing and crafts in the City Hall foyer.
The Prince Albert Downtown Business Improvement District is sponsoring the Horse and Wagon rides, so families can hop on a horse and wagon ride and enjoy the scenic downtown area.
“This year we are having two horse and wagon rides because one was not enough last year,” Trusty said. “We had people lining up for over an hour waiting for a ride, so we are bringing in two sets of wagons this year.”
The Prince Albert Firefighters will bring a new experience to the 2024 Tree Lighting Ceremony with an outdoor fire pit for marshmallow roasting and smore making.

Bundle up, bring your family and friends, and join us for an evening of free festive fun.

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