For all of you Kris Kringle fans out there, Santa will be making his annual visit to Toronto in only six days!!

Fun fact: Toronto’s Santa Claus Parade is the longest running children’s parade in the world, broadcast across North America, as far away as New Zealand, Norway and Ireland. (Awesome, right?)

A Wonderful Tradition

From the time my kids were babes, we’ve made the parade a tradition. Bundling up in layers, scoping out a spot along the parade route, drinking hot chocolate and eating snacks – sometimes even perching on Daddy’s shoulders to see the big guy as he rolls by – is all part of the fun.
These memories are ones my kids will treasure, and it’s especially true this year because my daughter has the honour of riding on Disney’s The Good Dinosaur float! (If your kids are as excited as mine about this movie, click here to download activity pages for them to enjoy!)

 

As a marcher, I will be in on the fun too, and will be tweeting, Instagramming – and possibly even Periscoping – my way down the parade route, thanks to my brand new Moto X Play. With its 21 megapixel camera (and 5 megapixel front camera, for selfies!), I can’t wait to capture all of the excitement in high-definition. If you’re watching the day of the parade, tweet me (@fabfrugalmama)!

Since my 5-year-old is too young to be on the float with his big sister, I dubbed him the “official parade photographer” for the day. So, you can imagine how thrilled we were when Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment – a sponsor of the Santa Claus Parade – invited my family to watch the parade from their VIP viewing area. Now, even though he’s a shortie, he’ll have a great vantage point from which to capture all the fun. (Thanks, MLSE!)

I can’t mention the parade without also telling you about another fun event that benefits the parade foundation – the Holly Jolly Fun Run! To kick off the 111th Santa Claus Parade, MLSE is proud to be supporting this fundraising run that takes place before the parade and features Raptors legends Muggsy Bogues and Alvin Williams, along with NBA All-Star Dikembe Mutombo, as Holly Jolly Fun Run ambassadors and official starters. Participants run the parade route before the big event starts and are cheered on by parade goers all along the route. How cool is that?

If you want to participate, visit thehollyjollyfunrun.com and and use offer code “Rudolph” for $20 off the registration fee!! But hurry, you’ve only got until Wednesday, November 11th to register!! And, be sure to follow #HollyJollyFunRun on twitter!

I hope to see you on the parade route, and if you can’t be there, tune in on Sunday. Parade tips and information can be found here.

Happy Santa-spotting!