November 17, 2022 at 10:33 am
Santa will be very busy over the next few weeks as he makes several stops around Chatham-Kent.
The city’s Christmas parade season kicks off Friday with the Chatham Santa Claus Parade.
The parade will leave Sandys Street at 6:30pm, travel down Lacroix Street, then down King Street before finishing at the Wish Centre.
After the parade, kids can visit with Santa at the Wish Center. Individuals participating in the parade are encouraged to bring toys, canned goods or donations to Chatham Goodfellows’ No Christmas Without Children campaign.
On Saturday, November 19th, the Knights of the Pythias Santa Claus Parade will kick off at 2 p.m. in Fort Wallace. The parade starts on Arnold Street.
Community Living Wallaceburg will be collecting non-perishable items during the parade. All donations will go to ROCK Missions James Street Drop-In and The Salvation Army Chatham Kent Ministries.
Also on Saturday 19 November, Thamesville will kick off the holidays with Thamesville Christmas. The event kicks off at 3pm on London Road with food, vendors and free activities for the kids.Meet and greet with Santa Claus between 4pm and 6pm, with a lighting ceremony at the Old Town Hall at 5pm
Tilbury will get into the spirit a full month before Christmas with the Tilbury Santa Claus Parade scheduled for Friday 25 November.
The Tilbury Parade begins at Fire Hall at 7pm before moving south on Queen Street to Memorial Park. After the parade, kids can visit with Santa at the park. Following the parade, the Tilbury Lions Christmas Lights Festival will also celebrate opening night in the park.
The annual Blenheim Kinsmen Santa Claus Parade returns to the streets of Blenheim on Friday 2 December at 6.30pm
“The parade always brings the Blenheim and area communities together for an evening of lights, which is the theme of this year’s parade,” said parade chair Keven Montgomery.
Instead of a parade this year, Bothwell is hosting a “Hometown Holiday in the Square”.
The event kicks off at 6:30pm on Friday 2 December and includes games, refreshments, carols and a meet and greet with Santa and the tree lighting ceremony at 7pm
On Saturday, December 3rd, Santa will be heading to Whitley.
Whitley Santa Claus Parade will begin at 6:30pm at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, head north onto South Erie Street, turn right onto East Talbot Road, then Side Street and Middleton Line, and finally Return to church.
The Girls Southpoint Stars U13 team will be collecting canned or dry goods to donate to the Whitley Regional Food Bank.
Elsewhere, a Santa Claus parade in Dresden is scheduled for Saturday, December 10 at 5 pm. Also on December 10, the Ridgetown Santa Claus Parade will be held.
On Sunday, December 11, Santa will be photographed at Kingston Park in Chatham.
Next week there will be a parade in Thamesville from 7pm on Friday 16 December.
There are several other festivals planned across the city in the coming weeks.
The Wallaceburg Holiday Market will be held on Friday, November 18th. Meanwhile, the Thamesville Christmas Market is scheduled for November 19, and the Dresden and Tilbury Night Markets are both on November 26.