38th Island Farms Santa’s Light Parade: Everything you need to know

Thousands of people will gather in downtown Victoria this Saturday for the 38th Island Farms Santa’s Light Parade.

Here’s what you need to know, including street closures and where to see Santa following the parade.

Date and Time

The parade will take place on Saturday, Nov. 30 at 5 p.m. PST. There are over 70 entries and over 2,000 participants this year.

Route and Christmas Square Information: 

The parade begins at Belleville and Government streets. It will continue up Government Street before ending at the Thrifty Foods Christmas Square at Centennial Square.

The Thrifty Foods Christmas Square will be open from 4:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. with performances starting at 4 p.m. There will be food trucks, bouncy castles, crafts by Home Depot, virtual reality and face painting.

Milk and Cookies with Santa starts at Centennial Square right after the parade.

The 38th Island Farms Santa’s Light Parade route.

Street Closures: 

Marshalling for the parade starts at 3 p.m. around the B.C. legislature. Belleville Street will be closed at 3 p.m. between Government and Menzies streets. Menzies Street will also be closed at 3 p.m. between Belleville and Superior streets. Government Street will be closed between Belleville and Superior streets at 3 p.m.

Government Street will be open from north of Belleville Street until 4:30 p.m. or 4:45 p.m.

Floats will be dispersing at Government and Fisgard streets. Walking and performing groups will be dispersing east on Fisgard Street.

Donations: 

Helmet Heads are hosting a toy run this year. Anyone can donate a new or gently used toy at Centennial Square between 4 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Mustard Seed Food Bank will also be taking donations.

How to Watch from Home: 

CHEK’s Stacy Ross, Jeff King and Veronica Cooper will be hosting a televised broadcast of the parade starting at 5 p.m., live from the lawn of the Fairmont Empress. For those who don’t have cable, CHEK will be live streaming on our Facebook page and our YouTube page.

Stacy and Jeff say they can’t wait to be down at the parade.

“For me, the Santa’s Light Parade means the Christmas season is officially underway. I love Christmas and can’t wait to join fellow CHEK elves Veronica Cooper and Jeff King to host this sparkling, beautiful, festive spectacle again this year,” Stacy said.

“It’s one of my favourite days of the year. I love seeing the looks on the faces of the children.” Jeff said, adding that he’s a huge fan of Santa.

Editorial Policies Report an Error