Santa Claus Parade
The Santa Claus Parade (formerly the Hyack Parade of Lights) is an all-Section event where we parade along Columbia St. in downtown New Westminster. This parade is usually in early December.
Our Group needs to be registered in the parade. Deadline is usually around Nov. 20th. The registration form can be found on the City’s website.
We meet on the Front Street parkade to assemble the reindeer. We march in the parade with a canoe, and kids wearing plywood reindeer and Santa hats. There are 1-person and 2-person reindeer, but we haven’t used the doubles for a few years. After the parade, we take apart the reindeer on the Front Street parkade.
It takes a while to put the reindeer together, so we need a few volunteers to bring cordless drills with #2 Robertson bits. In 2015, we put them together ahead of time in Michael Hamilton’s garage and retired some of the broken ones. Putting them together ahead of time was a good idea, but may not be practical every year.
The parade is usually open for free parking, but you need to get in by a certain time.
Someone should stay behind with the trailer to get the hot chocolate going and ready for noon (ish) when people return to the parkade.
Things to remember to do:
- Register for the parade with the City and provide an announcing script for them to read as we march past.
- Get gear from the locker using the box trailer including the following: reindeer, wood cross-bracing & screws, long rope (tug of war rope) to pull the canoe, Santa hats, Pick up the Section flags and the leather flag carrying belts, the 12th New Westminster banner, two poles (spars), ropes to tie the spars together, twine to tie the banner to the spars, crab cooker, large pot, propane tank, adjustable wrench, matches/lighter, ladle, hot chocolate, and water jugs, and paper cups for those who don’t lug a mug.
- Consider buying chocolate milk instead of powdered hot chocolate.
- Fill the water jugs.
- Consider bringing a canoe and dolly, paddles.
- Volunteers to bring cordless drills.
- Christmas lights, inverter and a battery were used in years past when the parade was at night.