114th Santa Claus Parade brings Christmas cheer to Toronto
Toronto's 114th annual Santa Claus Parade brought plenty of Christmas cheer as it made its way through the city's downtown core Sunday afternoon.
Sunday's parade promised 32 floats, 21 marching bands and lots of family fun despite the relatively chilly weather.
"People can expect some great, larger than life characters. There's going to be some fantastic bands entertaining them along the route," Clay Charters, executive director of the event, told CBC Toronto ahead of the big parade.
One float this year featured a large traditional sleigh full of toys that driven by a "cheerful and happy" elf. The float is said to be one of the largest ever in the parade.
Before the parade, there was the Holly Jolly Fun Run, then Celebrity Clowns.
The run, with about 1,300 runners this year, is said to be the most festive five kilometre run in the city, while the clowns helped get everyone excited for the floats to come.
Charters said the weather was expected to be "pretty favourable" for the day but said those attending should "be certain to bundle up and come down early.
"Come down and enjoy spending the day with your fellow citizens and enjoy the parade," he added.
According to Environment Canada, the forecast Sunday called for a high temperature of 2 C and a 30 per cent chance of flurries in the late afternoon.
The parade began at 12:30 p.m., started at Christie Pitts and ended at the St. Lawrence Market.
