Santa Claus is coming to town!
This weekend, one of the city’s most beloved holiday traditions The Original Santa Claus Paradereturns for its 120th year.
As one of the oldest Santa Claus parades in the world, spectators will gather by the hundreds of thousands to watch as spectacular parade floats roll by, accompanied with a marching band, performers, and Santa and Mrs. Claus as the grand finale.
However, with the iconic parade comes a plethora of road closures and transit detours, but don’t worry, we’ve got you covered:
Parade Route
This year’s parade route begins at Christie Pits at 12:30 p.m. The route heads south at Bloor and Spadina, then veers east on Harbord Street before turning south on University Avenue.
At University and Wellington Streets, the parade continues east before ending at its last stop near the north entrance of St. Lawrence Market.
To see the full parade map, visit their website here.
Parade Road Closures
Downtown Toronto will see significant road closures beginning early Sunday morning, so you’ll want to plan accordingly if you’re coming into the city! Barricades will be in place early in the day, and any vehicles parked along the route will be towed starting at 6 a.m.
Here’s a breakdown of Sunday’s road closures:
- 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
- Bloor Street West (Ossington Ave. to Christie St.)
- Christie Street (Bloor St. to Barton Ave.)
- 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Bloor Street West (Christie St. to Avenue Rd.)
- Bathurst Street (Barton Ave. to Harbord St.)
- 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Multiple streets will be closed, including sections of Harbord, St. George, Hoskin, Queen’s Park Crescent, College, University, Dundas, Wellington, and Front.
The parade will also affect several TTC bus and streetcar routes. While streetcars like the 503, 504, 505, 506, and 511 will operate with minor adjustments, the following bus routes will be rerouted:
- 13 Avenue Road
- 19 Bay
- 75 Sherbourne
- 94A Wellesley
- 114 Queens Quay East
- 121 Esplanade-River
- 126 Christie
To help with the increased crowds, the TTC will add more service on Lines 1 and 2 throughout the day.
For those who can’t make it downtown or prefer to avoid the crowds, the Santa Claus parade will be livestreamed on YouTube for the first time ever this year, making it accessible to everyone.
You can find the link to watch here!
When: Sunday November 24, 2024 starting at 12:30 p.m.
Where: See parade map here
Cost: FREE