Santa's Parade of Lights

Registration for Santa's Parade of Lights will open on October 22, 2025 at 9:00am

On December 7, from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., citizens are welcome to attend Santa's Parade of Lights hosted by the Stratford and District Saddle Club and Bethel Pentecostal Church. 

This year's celebration begins with the Christmas Tree lighting at 4:45p.m on William Street at Haig Street, followed by the parade kicking off at 5:00p.m. The parade will proceed down William Street moving along the river and finishing on Lakeside Drive in front of the Tom Patterson Theatre. 

Sensory Friendly Area: New this year, the parade route from Hillcrest Drive to Denison Street will be designated as a sensory-friendly area. During this portion of the parade, floats will be asked to avoid using sirens and strong flashing lights. 

Non-perishable food donations will be collected along the parade route. 

Register a Float or Walking Group

Do you have a creative idea, a festive group, or a love for spreading cheer? Then don't miss your chance to be part of Santa's Parade of Lights by registering your parade entry today!

We welcome:

• Fully decorated floats
• Walking groups & performers
• Community clubs, schools, businesses and more!

Whether you're marching, dancing, singing, or riding a glowing float -  this is your time to shine in front of thousands of spectators!

BEST DECORATED GROUP: We will once again be hosting a contest for the Best Decorated Group! All registrations will be automatically entered, and judges will award Best Decorated Group based on creativity, spirit, and how well you light up the night! The Best Decorated Group will be awarded free entry into the 2026 Santa's Parade of Lights! Let's make this years parade the brightest and most vibrant yet. Show off your creativity, engage the community, and be part of the festive tradition that brings our community together.

Registration is now FULL

Call for Volunteers

Want to help bring holiday cheer to your community? Join our team of dedicated volunteers and be part of the magic that makes Santa's Parade of Lights shine!

We're looking for friendly, reliable volunteers to:

• Attend barricades at road closures along the parade route
• Walk alongside the parade as it moves to ensure no one is entering the parade route. 

Whether you're looking to earn volunteer hours or just love the festive spirit, we have a role for you!

Help make this year's parade unforgettable - sign up to volunteer today!

Become a Volunteer!

Road Closures, Barricades & Traffic Routes

On December 7 from 3:00pm to 7:00pm, road closures and barricades will be installed on adjacent streets to the parade route. 

Sensory-Friendly Area

New this Year: The parade route from Hillcrest Drive to Denison Street will be designated as a sensory-friendly area. During this portion of the parade, floats will be asked to avoid using sirens and strong flashing lights. 

Event Health and Safety

To ensure the health and safety measures are met, event organizers remind those attending the event that:

1. Parade floats are permitted to hand out items along the parade route; however, items must be passed directly to individuals and may not be tossed or thrown.
2. Attendees are strictly prohibited from entering the parade route. 

Failure to comply to these guidelines will result in a ban on handing out items. 

• William Allman Arena parking lot will be made available to hockey patrons only, and between the hours of 3-7pm, access to the lot must be made off North Street. 
• Additional parking at the Tom Patterson Theatre off Waterloo Street/Water Street, and Upper Queens Park on Richard Monette Way will be made available on a first-come, first serve basis.

• Public washrooms are available inside the William Allman Arena.

Stratford Transit will be extending their On Demand service until 7:30 on December 7, 2025, allowing transit to meet the needs of customers while routing vehicles only to requested stops. Customers will be able to schedule a ride based on their own timeframes and route desired stop, allowing passengers to get anywhere in the city.

Learn more

Float Marshalling Instructions

1. The event will be held, rain, snow or shine.
2. Floats will start at Hillcrest Drive and William Street, moving east along William Street to Lakeside Drive North, across the Festival bridge, heading west along Lakeside Drive past the Stratford Festival and ending at the Tom Patterson Theatre. 
3. Float hosts are expected to fully decorate their float in the spirit of the holidays. As this is a family event, please be aware that small children will attend the event. The experience MUST NOT be disturbing in any way.
4. Floats are invited to setup in arriving two groups. On the day of the event, float Numbers 1-27 are invited to start setting up at 3:00pm and float numbers 28-53 will be invited to start setting up at 3:30pm. Floats must be completed no later than 4:30pm. The parade marshalling zone will be from William Street at Waterloo Street (last float in the parade), heading east to Hillcrest Drive and William Street (first float in the parade). Organizers will be on-site to assist you into your marshalling position.
   
5. To enter the float marshalling area along William Street, please arrive at William Street & Mornington Street. Additional load-in details will be released closer to the date.
6. The front of the parade will start moving at 5:00 p.m.
7. Santa Claus should not be riding on any float except the final Santa float.
8. Parade floats are not to hand out any items to attendees along the parade route, and walking into the route, by the public, is strictly prohibited.
9. When the parade ends in and around the Tom Patterson Theatre at Lakeside Drive and Waterloo Street, floats may disperse via Veteran's Drive to Erie Street or Huron Street, or via Waterloo Street. 

Floats fees are $50 for a community group and $100 for a corporate group. 

Float registration will open October 22, 2025, and close on November 14, 2025. 

2025 Corporate Community Donors

A special thank you to the following 2025 Corporate Community Donors who have helped make this years Santa's Parade of Lights possible.