The holiday spirit filled the Border City on Dec. 6, as families braved sub-zero temperatures to take part in the 18th annual Here Comes Santa Claus Lloydminster celebration.
Read more: Festival of Trees gala a Christmas delight
With Santa, the Grinch and a long list of free activities, the event once again packed the downtown core with children and Christmas cheer.
One of the event’s organizers, Kurt Price, said the day’s success comes down to the strong community support behind it.
“Lloydminster does a great job. This whole day is free, and it’s free because of our sponsors,” said Price. “Each year, we have sponsors that find us and express interest in supporting the day.”
Price highlighted Kel-5 Enterprises as one of the many dedicated sponsors.
“The family that owns Kel-5 Enterprises, their kids have volunteered with the event for years and now mom and dad sponsor it,” he said. “They’re sponsoring the bouncy castles at the Anglican Church and have sponsored the event in some way for three years.”
Long time supporters continue to anchor the festivities, including May Cinema 6 and Crude Master.
“Other groups that call us every year and always want to be a part of it are May Cinema 6 and Crude Master,” said Price. “The May has always been a huge supporter of this and we really appreciate them.”
The day kicked off with a pancake breakfast at Royal Canadian Legion Branch #39 and rolled into a lineup of family-friendly activities across downtown — balloon animals, a wiener roast with Lloydminster Fire and Rescue at Synergy Credit Union, gingerbread house making and more.
“The credit unions are a big part of this every year, but one member of the community that always plays a huge part in this is Sobeys,” Price added. “They bake all the gingerbread for the gingerbread houses at Sobeys and provide everything for the pancake breakfast.”
Servus Credit Union also played a major role.
“Servus Credit Union not only let us use the Atrium Centre, but they also sponsor the balloon maker, Sprinkles and Magnificent Mark,” said Price. “They’re also volunteering here today making sure everything runs smoothly and people know where everything is located.”
He described the atmosphere of the event as delightfully energetic.
“What I love is, it’s chaos, but it’s good chaos.”
The Downtown Area Redevelopment Committee helped elevate the festivities even further by organizing this year’s horse-drawn carriage rides.
With a long list of contributors—many returning year after year — Price said planning efforts always look toward growth.
“There’s so many sponsors each and every year. Every year we hope to make it bigger and better and we’re always looking for ideas of how to make it better.”
Read more: City hosts Christmas food and toy drive Dec. 6
