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Penticton goes another year without the Santa Parade

Surrounding communities are going ahead with outdoor Christmas parades and events
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The last time the Santa Parade took place in Penticton was 2019. (Brennan Phillips Western News)

The city of Penticton will go another year without its Santa Parade.

The city’s economic development manager Carly Lewis confirmed that the popular parade through downtown Penticton will not be going ahead for a second-year year in a row because of the ongoing pandemic and the crowd restrictions placed on the Interior Health region.

“The Santa Claus Parade is a large event that requires significant advance planning. At the time that we would normally have begun planning [but], the Interior Health order on gatherings and events did not allow for outdoor events with unrestricted access/crowd capacities, such as parades,” said Lewis.

Last December, Hoodoo Adventures and the city of Penticton partnered to offer a one-day drive-through “Candy Cane Lane” at the South Okanagan Event Centre parking lot. But the event sold out in hours and was limited to a certain amount of vehicles.

Other communities in South Okanagan and the Similkameen are going ahead with Christmas parades and light-up events this year, including Keremeos which is hosting its Light Up Parade on Dec. 4, starting at 5:30 p.m. on Veteran’s Ave.

READ MORE: Light Up Parade returns to Keremeos

In the Town of Oliver, it is hosting its popular Christmas Tree Light Up, carolling and events at various parks on Dec. 3.

In Summerland, it broke up the light-up event over several weekends Dec. 4, 11 and 18. The Christmas event normally draws thousands of people.

READ MORE: Summerland Light Up spans over three weekends

READ MORE: Drive-thru Christmas Candy Cane Lane in Penticton

Cities such as Vernon are also going ahead with its Christmas parade.

To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.

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Monique Tamminga

About the Author: Monique Tamminga

Monique brings 20 years of award-winning journalism experience to the role of editor at the Penticton Western News. Of those years, 17 were spent working as a senior reporter and acting editor with the Langley Advance Times.
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