In 1905, when it was started, the Toronto Santa Claus Parade had one float. Today, as it celebrates its 100th anniversary, the parade has more than 25 floats, 1700 participants and covers a distance of more than 6 kilometers through downtown Toronto. This makes the Toronto Santa Claus Parade one of the largest entertainment productions in North America and one of the most successful children’s parades in the world.
What makes it so successful, especially in one of the world’s most multicultural cities? Perhaps it is the contingent of Celebrity Parade Clowns, who, led by Parade Co-Chair Ron D. Barbaro, give up their day jobs as some of Canada’s top business and community leaders and don face paint and silly costumes, no matter what the weather, to entertain the thousands of parade spectators? To find out the history behind the success of this great Toronto event, join us Monday, October 25th, when Mr. Barbaro, Co-Chairman of the Parade, with George Cohon, since 1982, delves into parade archives and shares 100 years of stories, photos and just plain fun from an event that draws millions of viewers around the world annually and helps brings out the kid in all of us.
If you have ever been a parade sponsor, a celebrity clown, ridden on a parade float or just been a kid in this city, this event is not to be missed.
