Spirit of the Season Guelph Caught in Guelph

Guelph Santa Claus Parade Changes to Saturday Evening December 2nd

Tuesday, August 22nd, 2023 - 10:55 pm
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The Guelph Santa Claus Parade is set to occur downtown on the evening of Saturday, Dec. 2 this year.

Traditionally hosted on a Sunday afternoon in November in Guelph, the parade will now be a component of the Spirit of the Season event, a collaborative initiative between the Downtown Guelph Business Association and the Guelph Community Foundation.

Scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m., the parade will be followed by the yearly mayor’s tree lighting ceremony.

Save the Date: Spirit of the Season event to run in Downtown Guelph from December 1 to December 2, 2023

The Guelph Community Foundation and the Downtown Guelph Business Association will be hosting a community event this winter.

Taking place on Friday December 1st and Saturday December 2nd in historic Downtown Guelph, Spirit of the Season will be an inclusive two-day festival combining the Guelph Community Santa Claus Parade and the Mayor’s Tree Lighting. In addition, there will be two new holiday markets for a weekend of entertainment, lights, and holiday cheer, where we can learn about the many ways we celebrate the season as a diverse community.

Market Details

An Outdoor Market in St. George’s Square will run from:

Friday, December 1st from 11am to 8pm
Saturday, December 2nd from 10am to 10pm

An Indoor Market, located inside the Old Quebec Street Mall, will run from:

Friday, December 1st from 11am to 10pm
Saturday, December 2nd from 10am to 5pm

The Guelph Community Santa Parade and Santa Run

Saturday December 2nd. Santa Run starts at 4:55pm, the Guelph Food Bank at 5:15pm, and the parade at 5:30pm.

“As the nights get longer in December, we are excited to build a festival that will bring together the residents of Guelph and surrounding community to celebrate the winter holidays with some added sparkle in Downtown Guelph,” says Chris Willard, Executive Director of The Guelph Community Foundation.

“The Foundation strives to bring people and causes together and we are pleased that the funds raised from this year’s festival will support The Home for Good Campaign.”

The Home for Good Campaign is a partnership between The Guelph Community Foundation and United Way of Guelph Wellington Dufferin. The Campaign will raise $5 million to invest in permanent supportive housing projects to help people experiencing homelessness in Guelph and Wellington.

“The DGBA is looking forward to working together with the Guelph Community Foundation during this year’s Spirit of the Season festival,” says Heather LeBar, Project Manager of the Downtown Guelph Business Association (DGBA).

“We are thrilled to be working together to create an experience that will include a two-day market in St. George Square that ties into the Santa Claus Parade and Mayor’s Tree Lighting Ceremony. The DGBA and Board of Directors is hopeful to continue building onto this annual event as the years go on to bring together our community during the holiday season.”

All interested in more information on Spirit of the Season are asked to stay tuned for its official website launch www.spiritoftheseason.ca, coming later this summer.

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