Santa’s holiday magic coming to the City of Burlington
Published November 25, 2020 at 2:48 pm
Christmas may not look the same this year, but that will not stop the City of Burlington from bringing some holiday cheer.
The city will be launching Santa’s Holiday Magic Trail (SMHT) and is encouraging the public the join virtually for Story Time with Santa.
Santa’s Holiday Magic Trail is an innovative and creative alternative to the traditional Santa Claus Parade.
Due to COVID-19, the traditional parade will not happen this year as the City continues to follow public health direction and the need to maintain physical distancing and avoid crowding.
According to a release, the SMHT will feature Santa Claus riding on an antique fire truck with a police escort through different Burlington neighbourhoods each weekend in December.
“The silver lining throughout this year has been finding new and creative ways to do things and celebrate holidays from how we’ve traditionally done it before,” said Mayor Marianne Meed Ward.
Videos
Since the safety of residents is the city’s priority, the truck will not be making any stops.
The public is being encouraged to view Santa from within their own household or to follow public health direction and maintain two metres of physical distancing if they choose to step outside.
Each day, Santa will be moving throughout the neighbourhoods from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., weather permitting.
“Challenging times call for innovative solutions,” said Chris Glenn, Director of Recreation Services.
“Since we can’t have our regular parade and most floats can’t be safely created, we’ll bring Santa to the neighbourhoods.”
The schedule will be as follows:
Dec. 5: Rural Burlington, Tyandaga, Brant Hills and Mountainside
Dec. 6: Headon Forest, Palmer, Tansley and Millcroft
Dec. 12: Alton Village, the Orchard, Corporate, Pinedale and Elizabeth Gardens
Dec. 13: Longmoor, Shoreacres, Roseland and Dynes
Dec. 19: Aldershot, Central and Plains
Dec. 20: Make-up inclement weather date, if needed
On December 19, Santa will bring greetings to Burlington residents and will be reading “Twas the Night Before Christmas” as well as telling stories of the north pole, his reindeer and the nice list.
The video will be posted on the Burlington website until December 31.
The exact route of the SHMT will not be posted anywhere to avoid potential gatherings along sidewalks and for resident safety.
Santa will safely move through the neighbourhoods and residents are asked to avoid gathering in crowds.
Santa will not be stopping to accept letters, milk and cookies and cannot pose for photos.
Residents are encouraged to use the hashtag #SpotSantaBurlON to let others know where Santa is and to spread the magic around, virtually.
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