Santa Claus Parade is coming to town

The big guy in red will make his annual appearance in Barrie on Saturday to the delight of hundreds of families.

The 75th anniversary of the Barrie Santa Claus Parade will feature floats, live entertainment, and new attractions, including Santa’s Fireside Gathering.

The event starts at 5 p.m. with the parade travelling north on Lakeshore Drive from Tiffin Street to Toronto Street and east on Dunlop Street to end at Poyntz Street.

The tree lighting will follow the parade at Meridian Place, with a fireworks show and downtown concert.

Road Closures

The parade will require the closure of several streets along the route.

Lakeshore Drive will be closed in both directions from Tiffin Street to Minet’s Point Drive starting at 1 p.m.

A significant section of Dunlop Street will be closed both ways starting at 6 a.m. until after the tree lighting, around 8:30 p.m.

Simcoe Street from Bayfield Street to Dunlop Street East will be closed in both directions from 4 p.m. until roughly 8:30 p.m., and Mulcaster Street from Dunlop Street East to Collier Street will also be closed starting at 4 p.m.

Santa’s Fireside Gathering

The new feature will take place at Centennial Park with a fire pit, food trucks, and limited bleacher seats.

It’s recommended to bring lawn chairs.

Letters for Santa

Santa’s helpers will collect letters for the big guy along the route, so have those wish lists ready to be delivered to the North Pole.

Free Transit

Complimentary park and ride shuttle service will be available every 15 minutes from Bayfield Mall from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. for those wishing to leave the car behind.

The service will drop riders off within walking distance of the parade route.

Riders are asked to arrive at their stop five minutes before the scheduled time. MyRideBarrie.ca tracks shuttles in real time.