Annual Santa Parade in Downtown Kamloops

The Santa Parade 2021

The Kamloops Central Business Improvement Association, aka Downtown Kamloops, is thrilled to announce the 41st Annual Santa Parade in downtown Kamloops will take place on Sunday, November 28. This year’s theme is the “Luminous Loops.” Parade participants will be encouraged to get creative with lighting and dazzle spectators as the afternoon light fades. Once again, Thompson Rivers University will be the event’s title sponsor.

For 2021, we are excited to be returning to the traditional Parade after 2 years. This year’s theme is ‘Luminous Loops’.

Similar to 2019, we will begin this Parade at dusk to enjoy the full effects of the lights. When dusk settles on Downtown, Victoria Street will come alive and ignite with illuminated floats, bands, and other performers. We are excited to bring back the magic of Christmas for children of all ages

When: Begins at 4:30 PM on Sunday, November 28th, 2021

Where: Starting at 2nd Ave & St. Paul Street, through 2nd Avenue to Victoria Street and along Victoria Street ending at 6th Avenue

What to Expect: Parade attendees can expect to see floats illuminating Victoria Street with mascots, larger-than-life floats, many friendly faces, and jolly old guy’ himself, Santa, dressed in red, in his sleigh with his reindeers. The Kamloops Central Business Improvement Association encourages attendees to wear masks and stand with a family group and maintain social distancing. Leave the area after the event. If you are sick, please do not attend.

Executive Director Carl DeSantis is enthusiastic about bringing back one of Kamloops’ most cherished events. The pandemic forced organizers to cancel last year.  “This is a significant year for us. We are excited to bring back the magic of Christmas for children of all ages. When dusk settles on the downtown, Victoria Street will come alive and ignite with illuminated floats, bands, and other performers.   We expect the parade to be well attended, with people gathering to see the floats from 2nd Avenue along Victoria Street to 6th Avenue. We have already been receiving many queries from eager participants from previous years.”

Thompson Rivers University is delighted to be involved with this special launch to the Christmas season, as such events fit well with one of TRU’s key values — community-mindedness, said Brian Daly, TRU’s Vice-President of University Relations.

We all share the goal of creating incredible memories for kids and families. Let’s also remember that we need a little extra charity and extra breathing space this year.

Pre Parade:

Slow No Tempo at 3:30PM at the Vic Downtown

A cappella quartet. Vocal Group. Vocal Band. Whichever name you prefer, Slow No Tempo is four guys from Kamloops, BC making music with just their voices. Formed in the fall of 2018, Slow No Tempo sings a wide variety of music; from rock to sea shanties to jazz to barbershop and everything in between, all with their beautiful blend of voices and unique brand of humour. They have dazzled audiences at everything from gala events to the Farmer’s Market, and every year they pick a different local charity for their Singing Valentine fundraiser. Catch Slow No Tempo Pre parade at the Vic Downtown perform from 3:30Pm.

Kamloops Music Collective – Tuba Christmas at 3:30PM at Kamloops Square

This year the Kamloops Music Collective is thrilled to be bringing TUBACHRISTMAS to Kamloops again! They will perform at Kamloops Square before Wake Up Santa at 3:30PM.  TUBACHRISTMAS is an international event with concerts being presented in over 280 cities all over the world. The performance feature traditional Christmas carols especially arranged for Tuba and Euphoniums. Check out our website kamloopsmusiccollective.ca for more information!

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Important Information:

Downtown Kamloops would like to encourage parade spectators to carpool to the event. Downtown parkades (located on Seymour & Lansdowne Street) are free of charge on weekends. Please note on Sunday public transit is limited. So plan ahead.

Transit route changes happening Sunday for the Downtown Christmas Parade
This Sunday, November 28, a number of bus routes will be rerouted for the Downtown Christmas Parade.
This service disruption involves route detours and stop closures between 12:00 noon to 6:00 pm. The following routes will be impacted:
• 1 Tranquille
• 2 Parkcrest
• 3 Westsyde
• 6 Downtown Loop
• 7 Aberdeen
• 9 Gleneagles
• 16 Juniper Ridge
• 17 Dallas
Lansdowne Exchange will be closed from 3 pm to 6 pm. A temporary exchange will be located on St. Paul St. (500 Block) between 5th and 6th Ave.
Please check Kamloops NextRide prior to taking transit on Sunday to see active detour routing. Regular service will resume Sunday evening at 6 pm.
For information about bus routes and schedules in Kamloops please visit: https://www.bctransit.com/kamloops/home

Live Stream

If you’re unable to make it down we will be streaming the parade again live to Facebook on Christmas in Kamloops So to help spread Christmas cheer feel free to share the feed for all to see.

A Sustainable Holiday Season

The Holiday Season is just around the corner, and we’re all getting ready. We know you are looking forward to shopping, decorating, and baking. It’s time to spruce up our lives with all of the Holiday festivities even though this year is very different. But there’s something vital for us all to remember when making preparations for Christmas. What we all should take into consideration is how sustainable we are this holiday season. This season is one of the leading culprits for much of the waste that occurs at the end of the year. And here at Downtown Kamloops, we’ve got some tips and tricks to help prevent waste this holiday season. A Sustainable Holiday Season is what we need!

*Please note this video was shot PRE COVID-19

THANK YOU TO OUR PRESENTING SPONSOR

THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTING SPONSORS