Biggest Fort Erie Santa parade yet brings Christmas cheer to thousands

Santa’s sleigh descended on Fort Erie Saturday where thousands of people filled the town’s north end for what organizers described as the “largest Santa Claus parade ever.”

The Bridgeburg BIA held the procession on November 22 along Gilmore Road, Central Avenue and Jarvis Street, with some big new additions from last year such as an assortment of food trucks, a beer tent and an afterglow party to round out the night.

The parade featured more than 50 floats and a crowd that shoulder-to-shoulder filled the downtown core from the parade’s start around 5:30 p.m. until its end just after 7 p.m.

One of the most viral floats from previous years was Santa’s sleigh, which returned thanks to a telehandler from Peters Construction lifting Kris Kringle and his costumed reindeer off the ground.

Bridgeburg BIA vice chair Korinne Antaya, owner of The Fox Shop and Koko and Jinx, was happy with the “incredible” turnout and told Fort Erie Radio about the challenges and commitments needed to out-do the holiday parade every year.

“I feel like we have really big shoes to fill because it has been known to be such a big and well-loved event, so this year we were just like, let’s make it one step bigger and one step better.”

Floats included the Fort Erie Air Cadets, Peacock School of Dance whose members performed choreographed routines, a Niagara Transit bus dressed as Rudolph, the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council, the Greater Fort Erie Soccer Club, Fort Erie Radio hauling a trailer styled as a classic red Radio Flyer wagon, and Ridgeway band Electric Lettuce performing from a flatbed.

Many of the participating floats had walkers at either side handout out candy to children in the crowd.

“It is a monumental undertaking. It takes months to put it together, and this one is a lot more coordinated with our first afterglow, a stage with performances, a beer tent, and another Grinch surprise,” said Antaya.

Peters Construction supplied the necessary trucks for many of the biggest floats in the parade. Antaya thanked Peters for “making this whole thing possible.”

Peters Construction spent weeks preparing its vehicles for the parade. Many of Peters’ trucks formed the backbone of the biggest floats including the signature sleigh lift.

Darren Thibodeau, project coordinator for Peters Construction Group, told Fort Erie Radio that their floats took “weeks of preparation.”

“There is a lot of prep involved and it is the whole team, not just one of us, that makes it happen,” said Thibodeau.

The biggest new addition to the parade was the food trucks lining Jarvis Street during the parade. Heist Burger, Kuma Curry, 905 Hot Dog Pound, Mama J’s Eats and Treats and The Runaround Tacos offered attendees the chance to grab a meal during the roughly two-hour parade.

Other attractions included Christmas pony rides, a kiddie train ride before the parade started and balloon creations from Fort Erie’s Fluffy the Clown. After the parade there were live musical performances from the stage set up near the post office.

“We wanted to offer some entertainment so people could come out and stay. We have got them, so let us keep everybody here and keep the party going,” said Antaya.

In a follow-up to Fort Erie Radio, Antaya emphasized that none of the event would have been possible without the efforts of Miruna Beti, BIA member and owner of Waffle Bandits on Jarvis Street.

“She was the driving force behind the entire parade,” said Antaya, adding that Beti “organized like 90 per cent of it.”

The BIA will look at the response to this year’s additions as it prepares for its 2026 festivities. Antaya said the scale of the crowd suggests the parade can support more activity zones and that organizers expect to build on that momentum.

MORE PHOTOS: All credits to Andrew Hawlitzky | Fort Erie Radio.

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