A special visitor is coming to the City of Moncton.
Tens of thousands will gather to welcome Old Saint Nick into downtown on Saturday night.
Greater Moncton Santa Claus parade President Robert Gallant says 76 floats and performers will take part this year.
We asked what would be different this year as compared the last.
“Not a hurricane,” Gallant joked. He was referencing last year’s parade that had to be cancelled due to high winds and rain.
“It’s a lot of great floats. We actually have quite a few new people in. So it’ll be it’s always exciting, like there are some people that come in all the time, and then there are other people that rotate through. So it’s always nice to see to see new groups coming through, and get to see what they have envisioned for their float,” Gallant added..
The parade starts at 5 pm on Main Street at Cameron Street and will travel all the way to Paul Street.
If you’re planning to go downtown, arrive early and find your parking spot. There are three family fun zones to enjoy before the parade. One at the Avenir Centre, one at Moncton City Hall and the third in front of Champlain Place.
“We have some bands playing some Christmas music and some mascots dancing around. They basically entertain people for the hours before the floats arrive. So if you want to get your favourite spot, we’ve got a little entertainment for you, a few spots along the route,” Gallant said.
If you’re planning to line the streets to watch the parade, make sure you keep an eye on your kids. “For safety’s sake, make sure that they’re not running out. I know it can be exciting, and they want to run out and see the mascots or whatever, but keep everybody up on the sidewalks. The float drivers with all the lights and everything on, they don’t have a huge field of vision,” Gallant suggested.
The sidewalks on Main Street, all the way from Cameron Street to Paul Street, will be lined with people. Just a reminder, though, if you are lined up on Paul Street, you will not see Santa Claus because the parade officially ends on the corner before.
In the past RCMP have told parade organizers that upwards of 100,000 people visit the City of Moncton for the parade.
The Greater Moncton Santa Claus committee also partners with the Progress Club for a few additional special guests during the parade. They bring several pediatric patients from both the Moncton and Georges Dumont hospitals and their families to the City Hall pedway, and they can watch the parade from there on Saturday night.
“The Codiac RCMP are leading the food drive for the Peter McKee Community Food Centre. They leave about 20 minutes before the parade officially starts to collect any non-perishable food items. They’ll be rolling down Main Street at 4:40 pm,” Gallant said.
There will be a few street closures to take note of during the parade.
The City of Dieppe wishes to advise motorists that there will be temporary road closures on the following streets on Saturday, November 22, between 4 and 8 p.m.
- Champlain Street, from Wheeler Boulevard (Moncton) to Acadie Avenue
- Paul Street, from Champlain Street to Olivier Street
- Virginia Avenue, only the one-lane section
The section of Champlain Street between Paul and Acadie is a teardown area for parade floats and not a viewing zone. Spectators should avoid this area for safety reasons.
Street closure details in the City of Moncton:
- From 1 p.m. to approximately 7 p.m.: Closure of Vaughan Harvey Boulevard from St. George Street to Canada Street, leaving the intersections of Vaughan Harvey Boulevard/St. George Street, Vaughan Harvey Boulevard/Main Street, and Vaughan Harvey Boulevard/Canada Street are open to traffic.
- From 3 p.m. to approximately 7 p.m.: Closure of Main Street from Enterprise Street to Cameron Street.
- From 4 p.m. to approximately 7 p.m.: Closure of Main Street from Cameron Street to Lewis Street.
- From 4 p.m. to approximately 9 p.m.: Closure of Main Street from Botsford Street to Mechanic Street.
- Full closure of Downing Street
- From 5 p.m. to approximately 7:30 p.m.: Closure of Main Street from Lewis Street to Acadie Avenue, Dieppe.
