A year after a financial Grinch appeared to be threatening Toronto’s Santa Claus parade, the head of the festive event says he’s optimistic for its future.
“Certainly we’re back, which is the good news,” said Clay Charters, president and CEO of the Original Santa Claus Parade. “We’ve set ourselves up now for the ability to succeed and build on that salvation for future years, but the work continues.”
Even as the parade was set to host its 120th event, organizers in 2024 were sounding the alarm and had set up a GoFundMe campaign, citing growing inflationary and operational costs, combined with corporate budget constraints.
The parade said in November 2024 that if they did not raise $250,000 to fill their deficit, the 2025 parade may not happen.
A year later, the parade says the “collective outpouring” of support means about 750,000 spectators will be able enjoy the Original Santa Claus Parade on Nov. 23, starting at 1 p.m.
This year’s two-and-a-half-hour parade will feature 27 hand-crafted floats, marching bands and various performers.
“We have three weeks left until the parade, so sometimes it’s like we’re living here,” parade artist Jason Donavan told Global News on Tuesday. “We have to get it done and it’s not done until parade day, like there’s always a finishing touch or something that you can add to this kind of stuff.”
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Donavan’s one of several artists who designs, sculpts and paints the floats over the course of a year by hand.
The designs aren’t created by 3D animators, and whether it’s the new LEGO float to a Christmas clown, it’s the hard work of the artists that put it together.
“We have a group of artisans here that are second-to-none,” said David McCarthy, chair of the parade. “People don’t realize that these things aren’t created by 3D animation or 3D printers, it’s old-fashioned hard work and the artisans do a tremendous job.”
Charters said they’ve put several things in place to ensure they succeed, including fundraising opportunities, new broadcast and corporate partners, and having support from all levels of government.
Among those fundraisers is the traditional Holly Jolly Fun Run which is held prior to the parade, and its 50/50 raffle, the latter of which is returning for the first time in several years.
He told Global News on Wednesday that the task now is ensuring that support continues.
“We know the building blocks are there, it’s what we do to make sure that the return on investment for those partners who work with us is there,” he said. “We really want to show the parade as a beacon for what community engagement can be and if we prioritize that over not just this year, but in subsequent years, then the opportunity is there for the parade to continue to grow, bounce back stronger than we were heading into 2024.”
He acknowledged such a parade has costs, telling Global News that operating costs include having space for the parade, paying staff who work year round and the materials that go into every float.
But he added that the goal this year is to “break even” and said the 2026 parade looks “very favourable,” with work to get ready for next year beginning as soon as this year’s event ends.
The Santa Claus parade started in 1905 with Santa as the only attraction, travelling in a special automobile through downtown Toronto, handing out souvenirs and surprise packages to the community along the way.
More than 120 years later, organizers say the parade is now the largest children’s parade in North America and the largest outdoor entertainment event held in Canada every year.
Santa Claus himself said the parade is special.
“My feeling is that now, more than any other time is a time to come together,” Santa said in an interview with Global News. “Sometimes we lose our way during the year, so we all need to come back to that one special day and for us, that’s Christmas.”
—with files from Global News’ Aaron D’Andrea
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
