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Toronto, ON, Nov. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Toronto, Ontario (November 4, 2025) – Following a resounding response to its rallying cry for funding last year, the much-loved Original Santa Claus Parade will be back in Toronto on Sunday November 23, 2025, for its 121st uninterrupted year. The Parade, a living canvas of wonder and joy that is free for all spectators, will feature 27 breathtaking hand-crafted floats, spirited marching bands, and an array of exciting performers. It is poised to enchant more than 750,000 paradegoers, with a host of viewers tuning in to watch it live at 1 pm ET on Citytv and Citytv+ via the Parade’s new broadcast partner, Citytv. The broadcast will be hosted by Breakfast Television’s Dina Pugliese, Tim Bolen, Rick Campanelli and Devo Brown, who will bring all the action from the parade route. As well, listeners at home or on the go will be able to tune into Toronto’s Christmas Music station 98.1 CHFI for live radio coverage of the Parade, hosted by Pooja Handa and Gurdeep Ahluwalia and non-stop Christmas music. “The remarkable legacy of this Parade lies in bringing people together, from all backgrounds, faiths and generations – to revel in the joy that unites us over the holidays,” says Clay Charters, president and CEO, Original Santa Claus Parade. “That community spirit is what we’re celebrating this year, with our deepest gratitude to Canadians across the country, and our sponsors and governments at all three levels who answered our call with such passion and commitment.” The 2.5-hour Parade route will follow last year’s path, beginning at Christie Pits at 12:30 pm, located at 750 Bloor Street West. It will proceed east along Bloor Street to St. George Street, continue south on St. George, and then east on Hoskin Avenue. Next, it will make its way south on Queens Park Crescent and University Avenue, then east on Wellington Street, and south again on Yonge Street to Front Street. Finally, the Parade will head east on Front Street and finish at the St. Lawrence Market at Jarvis Street. Notable highlights for this year include: New floats making their debut: These include a LEGO float, alongside creative expressions from Nintendo of Canada Ltd., Nutella and Uncle Tetsu. Fan favourites from Toronto Caribbean Carnival and the Indigenous Creation Story will also return this year, and as always, the ever-popular Celebrity Clowns will energize the crowds all along the Parade route. Coveted merchandise through Peace Collective: Exclusive branded merchandise from the P/C x Santa Claus Parade collection will be on sale once again, with proceeds supporting the Parade. Holly Jolly Fun Run: This year, the Parade is on track to welcome a record 2,500 runners, who will officially lead the route starting at 11:45 am ET from 625 Bloor Street West (east of Euclid Avenue and west of Palmerston Boulevard), ending at Berczy Park. All proceeds from the run will directly support the Parade. 50/50 raffle: Back by popular demand, this raffle will be available once again as a Parade fundraiser on 5050santa.com. Red-Nose Drive: In support of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets, cadets will be selling fun, Rudolph-inspired red noses along the parade route and at Union Station on Friday, November 21 from 3 pm to 7 pm and Saturday, November 22 from 10 am to 4 pm. The Treats Zone: Dubbed the official pre-party of the Parade, these free festivities will begin at 10:00 am at Christie Pits. Here, paradegoers can enjoy many fun activities, including letter-writing to Santa, busloads of candy canes from Sharp Bus Lines, warm Tim Hortons coffee and hot chocolate along with a photo moment by a giant Tims cup, cheesecake from Uncle Tetsu, and much more. Attendees are encouraged to bring new unwrapped toys for collection by Desjardins, who will donate to deserving children and families. Queens Park North: Attendees visiting Queen’s Park North can look forward to a full lineup of festive activities designed to spread holiday cheer including Tim Hortons hot beverages, delectable Nutella cookies, a McDonald’s café experience and more. Attendees can also bring to this location, new unwrapped toys for collection by Desjardins to deserving children and families. 98.1 CHFI will be broadcasting live from the park. “This Parade is all about celebrating hope, love and the holiday magic we create when we’re together,” added Santa Claus. “For Mrs. Claus and me, watching everyone, young and old, line up on along the city streets, seeing their enthusiasm and waves – that’s our real gift of the season.” This year’s corporate sponsors include: 98.1 CHFI, Ambient Mechanical, Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, Canadian Tire, Casa Loma, Circle K, Desjardins, Fitzrovia, LEGO Canada Inc., McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada, Metro Grocery, Nintendo of Canada Ltd., Nutella, Pizza Pizza, Playdium, Toronto Hydro, Tim Hortons, Uncle Tetsu, and Volkswagen Canada, as the exclusive automobile sponsor. Parade partners include: Branded Cities, Edery & Lord Communications, GO Transit, City of Toronto, Province of Ontario, Government of Canada, McCann Canada, Siphon Strategy, Toronto Caribbean Carnival, Toronto Star, Thompson Terminals Limited and TTC. For further information about the Original Santa Claus Parade, visit: https://thesantaclausparade.com. Follow along on social media Facebook, Instagram and X and use #SantaClausParadeTO to join the conversation. About the Original Santa Claus Parade: The Original Santa Claus Parade made its debut in 1905, thanks to the sponsorship of T. Eaton Company (Eaton’s). The original Parade was a “one man show” with Santa as the only attraction. Santa travelled in a special automobile through downtown Toronto, handing out souvenirs and surprise packages to the community along the way. Today, the Original Santa Claus Parade is the largest children’s parade in North America and the largest outdoor entertainment event held in Canada every year. The Parade relies on the support of sponsors, government partners, public donations and thousands of volunteers, to bring the magic of the season to millions of Canadians and people around the world. The Original Santa Claus Parade
