Organizers are looking forward to putting on Brantford’s 49th annual Santa Claus Parade on Saturday, November 29, 2025.
While the big event, which is hosted by Freedom House and presented by GrandBridge Energy, typically takes place in the evening, this year’s parade will run in the afternoon at 2 p.m.
Dave Carrol, lead pastor at Freedom House, said the decision to host the event during the day this year ultimately came down to a couple factors, but that the change is only temporary and the parade is expected to return to the evening in 2026.
“The reason it’s going to be a daytime parade this year is because it would have coincided with the mass road work that’s going on downtown, as well as the Bulldogs’ home game happening at 7 p.m.,” he explained. “We realized early on, ‘if we do this all at the same time, it’s going to be a nightmare for people to get in and out of the area.’ With people walking around and people getting off floats, which are not the easiest thing to maneuver through tight quarters, it would have been dangerous, so I think we all made the right call to do it during the day this year.”
Carrol continued, “We knew some people would be happy and some wouldn’t, and we tried to work out all kinds of options. We worked with the City and the traffic department and considered all the factors, but this was really our only option this year. I know change isn’t always easy, and I also really love the uniqueness of the nighttime parade, but the plan is to be able to return to that format next year. For now, I think it’ll be just as lovely in the daytime, Santa will come all the same, and I think this is going to open the door for a different crowd of people who can’t typically make it to the nighttime parade.”
The organizer went on to say this year’s parade theme is “sunshine” and he’s looking forward to seeing what people will come up with this,
“We know a lot of the great things we see at night are the lights and the cozy houses, but what about winter and Christmas during the day? What does that look like?” he said. “I think it’s a really neat opportunity to see what people come up with because every year, people really take the theme to heart. I’m genuinely excited to see how people interpret Christmas in the sunshine. Stacey Bester and I always do the Rogers TV broadcast of the parade, and from where we sit, we always get a great view of everything that’s coming down the street. The fun part is that you never know what you’re about to see, you never know what the creative minds of Brantford will come up with and how they link it all together.”
Carrol went on to say that even though the event is slightly different this year, one thing that isn’t changing is the aspect of community.
“What I like about the parade in general, is that it’s a fun time and it’s probably the second largest gathering of the year, next to Canada Day, where people can all come together,” he said. “It’s what we missed for all those years of the pandemic, the actual experience of finding a place and gathering together–that’s special. I love how people of all ages have taken the local parade to heart and really made it a tradition for themselves.”
Carrol added that the event was also a great way for residents to learn more about the local businesses and organizations that exist within the city and what they provide.
“New Life Church used last year’s telephone theme to talk about their newly launched 24-hour hotline and it was this unique way to, not just talk about themselves as an organization, but the things that were of value to the community,” he said. “I think the parade gives all those different organizations, the people, the political leaders, the businesses, the different charities, and the schools a chance to do the same. I’ve even talked with newcomers to Canada that genuinely have used the parade as a way to be able to see some of the different things that exist inside the community.”
Carrol went on to say that a large parade like Brantford’s wouldn’t be possible without the organizations and volunteers who step up each year to make it happen.
“We’re really thankful that this event is being presented by GrandBridge Energy because they’ve continued to step up that last several years, but also, Ferrero is a big sponsor this year too and so we’re really grateful for them to help make this work,” he said. “A municipality can’t run everything we have as a city; we have incredible staff in the Parks and Recreation department who do all sorts of different events, but there’s only so many things they can do. For different charities and non-profits like Freedom House to be able to help with the costs of big events like this one, is not only incredible but absolutely vital. I’m also thankful for all the people inside Freedom House and the volunteers that give their time to make this work. It takes all different kinds of people with different skills and abilities coming together to be able to serve the community.”
For those interested in attending the parade, it starts at 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 29. The route runs along Dalhousie Street, starting at Stanley Streets and ending at Harmony Square.
Upon Jolly Old St. Nicholas’ arrival in the square, the City of Brantford’s Parade After Party will officially get underway around 3 p.m.
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
