THUNDER BAY — The middle of November this year might not yet feel like a winter wonderland in Thunder Bay, but for organizers and participants of the annual Rotary Santa Claus Parade, that was just fine.
Thousands of people lined Memorial Avenue on a cool but pleasant Saturday morning for the 31st version of the yearly kickoff to the holiday season, taking in the festively decorated floats and waiting to catch a glimpse of Santa Claus.
Parade chair Dawn Sebesta said this year's event was wonderful.
"We couldn't have asked for better weather. It was just perfect," she said.
"For me, it just makes you want to keep doing this every year. When you have a day like this, weather like this, and you see all the people and how much they're enjoying it because they're not sitting there freezing, it just makes it 100 per cent better."
The pandemic forced a two-year hiatus for the parade, which returned last year but was greeted with frigid temperatures and blowing snow that wouldn't have been out of place at the North Pole.
A packed parade route showed the community's excitement for the event and the beginning of the Christmas season.
"I think it's a really important tradition and I would hate to see the parade go by the wayside and not happen anymore," Sebesta said. "I think it really does kick off the season. Santa comes here, and then Santa is at Intercity right after that. For me especially, it just starts the holiday season."
Ed Collins, who dressed up as the Grinch for the second year in a row, said he enjoyed bringing Christmas joy to the crowds.
"I love it. I love watching the kids. I love watching the adults. I love watching the elders — the glee in their eyes and their smiles," he said. "That's why I do it."
Sebesta said this year's parade had 57 registered floats.
"I saw the entries as they were coming in and the variety of what we had — all the way from the Grinch to the Frozen float — there were all different kinds of really different floats. We had marchers in the parade. We had fire trucks. There was a lot of variety and different things for the families to see along the route."
Audrey Horne, who got to take part in the parade alongside Brielle Thompson, said it was awesome to see all the people along the route.
