Santa Claus returning to downtown Windsor

The Windsor Santa Claus Parade is returning to downtown Windsor.

The 55th annual parade will take place on Saturday, December 2 at 6 p.m. and will start on Ouellette Avenue at Wyandotte Street to Riverside Drive and then heads down Riverside Drive to Caron Avenue.

Windsor Parade Corporation Executive Director Maggie Durocher says it's the first time since 2019 the parade will be held in the downtown core.

She says the enthusiasm shown from ward 3 councillor Renaldo Agostino and the Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association during their meetings about the parade was 'awesome.' 

"In the majority of municipalities it is downtown," she says.  "Obviously over the years its moved for various reasons but we were happy to have the support of the DWBIA because parades can't happen if there's not financial support."

Durocher says she's happy to have the support from the downtown BIA.

"In order to put on the very best parade we can we rely on sponsorship, we rely on communities and we rely on BIAs such as the DWBIA and we're thrilled that we could work with them to create this moment downtown and for us it's great," says Durocher.       

Ward 3 city councillor Renaldo Agostino, members of the Windsor Parade Corporation, Santa Claus and one of his elves stand outside of Windsor city hall, October 18, 2023 (Photo by AM800's Rob Hindi)

She says they haven't laid out how many years the parade will be downtown.

"The DWBIA has first right of refusal for this parade," she says.  "I also anticipate us seeing Canada Day back down here as well and quite frankly moving a parade is not something you do lightly.  It's not something we do just because it's fun.  The amount of work that goes on in the back end is tremendous when we do stuff like this."           

For the last few years, the parade has been held on Wyandotte Street East in the Walkerville and the Wyandotte Town Centre areas.

The Santa Claus Parade has also been held in Sandwich Town.