REGINA - The 38th annual Santa Claus parade took to the streets of Regina on Sunday.
The parade saw over 60 floats from local businesses, partners and more showing their creativity and spirit for the holidays.
Greg Gilbertson, general manager of Wheaton Kia, who organized the parade, highlighted its importance for the city.
"It's all about family and friends, and it's a time when everyone comes together. It's always been the kickoff to the Christmas season."
Wheaton Kia started organizing the parade in 2018 after the Southland Mall could no longer run the parade. The mall had cancelled the parade three weeks before the event.
Gilbertson said his team did not know how to run a parade but knew the city needed to continue having a Santa Claus parade. So, he and his team, along with help from the Southland Mall, got the parade set up. Gilbertson noted how many of the workers from the mall today are still partners for the event.
Preparations for the parade begin with ongoing planning throughout the year. Gilbertson said internal meetings for planning will start in Sept. when the dealership begins handling the marketing for the parade and accepting entries.
Not only does Wheaton Kia organize the event, but they also prepare their own float.
Gilbertson was asked which float has stood out to him the most since he’s witnessed the parade, and he pointed to his dealership's own floats.
He added that the dealership’s sales manager becomes their "float engineer" and that what they put together each year is "truly spectacular."
Gilbertson also said all the floats get better and better as time goes on. He pointed to the growing participation in the parade, from floats to spectators, leading to more creativity and designs.
While Wheaton Kia put time and effort into their float, all eyes were on Santa Claus as he came down the street. Santa Claus waved to spectators as he headed for Northgate Mall, where he would later take photos with kids.
The recent large turnout for the Santa Claus parade is a positive sign many in the community still care about it, as the parade saw a low entry list during COVID-19. According to Gilbertson, the 2021 parade had little floats due to protocols limiting businesses from being able to enter.
Gilbertson said out of all the Santa Claus parades he's been a part of, the parade in 2018, which was the first one Wheaton Kia organized, was the most memorable. He said, "The feedback we received from the community was really special, and just being able to continue the tradition that Regina's had for so long, that was absolutely the most special moment we've had."
Gilbertson added he enjoys how the Santa Claus parade in Regina lets businesses build their own float, while the bigger one in Toronto has a float-building team to build floats for businesses. He added seeing community organizations put time and effort into the parade is "something special."
In terms of future plans for the parade, Gilbertson said there could be discussions for extending the parade route to fit more people along the street as the population of Regina continues to grow.
