Here is a sure sign that the holiday season is fast approaching.
Registrations are now open for the Greater Moncton Santa Claus Parade.
“We had the first three or four come through yesterday,” Robert Gallant, the parade coordinator, told our newsroom on Wednesday.
The deadline to apply as a float, marching band or walking group is Nov. 7.
Gallant said they have a cap of 80 floats and generally get close to that every year.
“It is kind of first-come, first-served, so we always encourage people to register themselves early to get in,” he said.
Tens of thousands come to watch the parade each year, which starts along Main Street at Cameron Street in Moncton and ends at the corner of Champlain and Paul streets in Dieppe.
Storm date this year
Organizers were forced to cancel the event last year due to heavy rain and high winds in the region.
Floats were instead invited to set up in the parking lot of the Moncton Coliseum a couple of weeks later, but only a fraction were able to make it.
This year, Gallant said they have worked with Moncton and Dieppe to have a storm date for the parade the following evening, if needed.
“Everybody’s got their floats built and ready to go, so at least if it’s the next day, nobody’s already torn down their stuff, which was the issue last year,” he said.
“Most of them have storage issues and they can’t just leave a decorated float sitting around for a couple of weeks.”
This year’s parade is scheduled to take place on Saturday, November 22, beginning at 5 p.m.
