Santa Claus is coming to town

As light snowflakes danced through the sky, the crew at Downtown Sudbury was getting into the spirit of the season by putting the finishing touches on the annual Santa Claus Parade.

On Nov. 17, Santa will be rolling through town on his sleigh, wrapping up the downtown tour in time for a fireworks display. 

At the other end of the lineup, which reached a record-number of entries with 90 last year, are the Bluez Brothers. According to Maureen Luoma, they are an ideal fit for this year's parade.

“It's perfect for our theme Rocking Christmas in Sudbury,” the executive director of Downtown Sudbury said. The local musicians will be “doing what they do best,” leading the route west on Elm, down Durham, east on Larch, south on Minto before finishing up on Elgin.

This year, Santa will hop off his float at the former Market Square building in order the catch the firework show, while the rest of the parade finishes up at Ste. Anne Road.

“The fireworks have become an integral part of the parade,” Luoma said.

The march itself beings at 5:30 p.m., and finishes with the bright lights. Prior to the main event, families are welcome to search for the the man in red at the Santa Watch Party, taking place at 2 p.m. until the parade starts. There will be family-friendly activities at the old Market Square.

After all, that's what the parade is about. Watching young faces light up as floats pass by, and watching anticipation grow, is well worth it, according to Luoma.

“The parade is a family thing,” she said. “This is for kids.”

To celebrate the parade's family commitment, two of this year's judges will be kids. They will be joined by members of Downtown Sudbury's board, community members and the parade's honorary chairs Leanne and Brad Hulme from Kicx 91.7.

Brad said he and his wife, who host mornings on the country radio station, were “honoured” to be part of the parade.

“It's a good fit for us, being a husband-and-wife team,” he said. “We bring the family aspect to the show.”

Those interested in participating in the parade are welcome to register before Nov. 8. A full list of regulations and requirements can be found at www.sudburysantaclausparade.com.

Luoma said this year, Downtown Sudbury will be sending out “naughty list” letters to entries who don't meet the requirements.