Santa Claus is coming to town.
The Downtown Penticton Association has been readying the sleigh for Santa’s arrival and tons of community groups are set to ride down Main Street kicking off the holiday season.
It all begins with a pre-parade performance with Okanagan Dance Studios starting off the action.
“There is going to be somewhere around 60 dancing performers doing routines. We’ll have that broken down throughout the blocks,” said Lynn Allin, executive director of the Downtown Penticton Association.
The Penticton RCMP, Crime Stoppers, the Penticton Fire Department’s 70-foot ladder truck are ready to spread the holiday cheer along with Penticton and District Search and Rescue.
“It’s great to honour those guys, they do a lot,” Allin said.
B.C. Ambulance is set to hit the streets with a float too along with a Public Works float featuring Penticton Mayor Andrew Jakubeit and council members walking alongside.
Penticton Royalty returns with the famed, award-winning Penticton Peach Festival Float. The Concorde Retirement Community is bringing their own float, as well as the Penticton Panther Royal Canadian Air Cadets, the SPCA, Springers Gymnastics is joining alongside the floats which also include Earls Penticton, Penticton Towing and Recovery, ATD Hobbies, Penticton Park Rangers and special guest Helena Tallon, the reigning Miss Petite Central B.C. for 2016/17. Peach City Ponies is bringing some ponies through the route as well.
A special treat this year, kids will get some one-on-one time with Santa after the parade.
Santa is being taken to the Lakeside Resort for a Santa Parade after-party.
“Santa will have a beautiful chair and kids can go in and sit on his lap and tell them all their Santa secrets,” Allin said.
Candy canes and hot chocolate are set to help raise some Christmas cheer.
“Hopefully there’s a light little snowfall to make it pretty and that’s all we need, hopefully we can get some people singing and really make it fun,” Allin said.
Santa Claus is set to ride down Main Street Penticton, with the parade starting at 4 p.m. on Dec. 3. The parade starts heading north on Main Street from White Avenue running down to Front Street.