The Santa Claus Parade Came to Fenelon Falls, 1937
On December 18, 1937, Fenelon Falls gathered to witness one of “the most entertaining events ever held here. The kiddies turned out en-mass—more than three hundred and fifty of them and the grown ups forgot their duties and enjoyed themselves as much as the young folk. Streamers of flags were strung across the street and the gay colours of the children’s attire against the background of snow made a pretty picture. … by the time the fire siren announced the approach of the parade everyone was on tiptoe with expectancy. Santa has chosen a yolk of oxen to drive his sleigh and came at the last of the parade.” The parade featured Mrs. Claus, Napoleon Bonaparte, Charles Dickens and the Duke of Wellington, while “the antics of a camel were one of the funniest features of the parade, and members of the Salvation Army were obliged to stop playing and laugh when it knelt down as it passed through their ranks.” At this first Santa Claus Parade, Santa gave children candy and oranges.
The inaugural event was such a resounding success that its organizers set about turning it into an annual celebration. While the first parade featured floats from four businesses (W.T. Robson, H.H. Moore, Andrew McFarland and Brandon and Gamble’s Hardware), it did not take long for many more members of the community to take an interest in entering the parade. By the 1950s, a great variety of businesses and community organizations were represented in the Santa Claus Parade, and many took the time to create elaborate entries. In 1951, Santa Claus arrived standing on the top of a cube van, sponsored by Robsons, and one float featured a costumed Humpty Dumpty sitting on a wall, perched on the roof of a car—imagine the safety concerns about that one today! Another float carried the five little pigs. A few years later, Coburn’s Drug Store exhibited the old woman who lived in a shoe.
By the 1960s, a volunteer committee at the Chamber of Commerce was organizing the Santa Claus Parade. Santa Claus and his reindeer were transported by Ontario Hydro. For many visitors, the marching bands were a primary attraction, headlined by the Kawartha Kavaliers, who often immediately preceded Santa Claus. The bands were typically local, like the Lindsay Kinsmen Band, Sutton Scarletaires, Bobcaygeon Legionnaires, Lakefield Scottish Pipers, McIntyre Pipes and Drums, and of course the Fenelon Falls’ own Salvation Army and High School Bands. Few attendees would forget the Rotary Club’s Hobo Simfunny Band, which consisted of the members dressed in drag.
The Santa Claus Parade continued as a popular annual event, until 1999, when its innovative committee decided to switch to a night time parade. At that time, the name changed to Santa Day. Ten years later fireworks were introduced, reflecting how it had become one of the region’s most spectacular events. Always the last Saturday in November, in 2024, Santa Day marks its 25th anniversary.
