Some folks just can’t get enough Santa Claus in their life.
For a family of five from Stayner, Saturday morning’s Santa Claus parade in Angus was the first of a half-dozen or so parades they’ll take in over the next couple of weeks.
”We travel all over,” said Peter, the ringleader of the gang of five, all sporting half-finished candy canes. “We’ll go to four or five at least.”
“But this one is the best,” chimed in Lindsay, one of Peter’s travelling companions.
“For a small community, they put together a really good parade,” added Shelly, another traveller.
Featuring numerous floats sponsored by local businesses, requisite fire trucks and emergency vehicles, bagpipers and open-air cars for the mayor and councillors, the parade closed down Mill Street, between Commerce Road and the Angus Arena, for the morning.
After Santa has passed by them, Peter and his pals headed back to their vehicle for the drive north to Collingwood to take in parade No. 2 later in the day.
Then they will be off to take in parades in Stayner, Wasaga Beach, Orillia and Creemore.
But not Barrie.
“We don’t really venture there,” Peter said.
Fans of smaller community parades, Peter and his group have become keen parade observers, especially when it comes to the last float — Santa and his reindeer.
Much to the chagrin of innocents everywhere, Peter’s pals dish an observation that is best consumed sitting down.
“It’s not the same Santa at every parade,” they say quietly, aware there are small children nearby who don’t need to hear such things. “The one in Stayner last year was really skinny.”
The Angus Santa didn’t have that concern.
He was a jolly old elf, plump and jovial — his flowing white beard and fur-trimmed red suit looking exactly as expected.
He’s everything Maricruz Lira imagined.
“This is my first Santa Claus parade,” the Essa Township mom said, her little one in a stroller beside her. “I’ve always been working when the parade’s been on and never had a chance before.
“This is the start of a tradition with my family.”
In a few years, she’ll have as much Santa Claus parade experience as Len Saulnier, an Angus resident who lives near Essa Line 5.
He’s been taking his granddaughters to the parade every year since the eldest one was born nine years ago.
He found an empty parking lot on the parade route, backed up his big black truck and flipped down the tailgate.
Voila — an instant front-row seat to take in the action.
His granddaughters hang out in the warm cab until the parade starts.
“They look forward to kicking off the season with the parade,” a bundled-up Saulnier said, sipping a hot coffee. “It’s a tradition.”
His daughter, Sara, said the middle of November is the perfect time to hold the parade — it’s not too early and not too late.
“We put the tree up a couple of days ago and decorated the inside of the house this morning,” she said.
She wasn’t the only one at the parade who’s already in the Christmas spirit.
Amanda Dalton, of Angus, has her Christmas tree up, her outdoor lights are strung and she’s already committed her first act of seasonal generosity.
She went down to Innisfil before the parade to pick up her nephew so she could surprise him with a trip to the parade.
“He had no idea,” Dalton said. “I picked him up and told him we were going to go look at a house.
“It’s a total surprise for him.”
