Two of Lloydminster’s longest-running Christmas traditions are joining forces this year, with the Parade of Lights and Here Comes Santa Claus combining into a single day-long celebration on Saturday, Dec. 5.
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“We are looking towards building a larger, more festival-style Christmas celebration,” said Mike Sidoryk, executive director with Border City Connects, the organization now planning both events.
The day will kick off early, with Here Comes Santa Claus hosting its traditional breakfast at 7 a.m. at the Kinsmen Hall. Organizers say the usual Here Comes Santa activities will follow, with more details to come as the date approaches.
Later that evening, the parade — now rebranded as the Boundary Ford Parade of Lights after its new title sponsor — will head out after 5:30 p.m. The staging area will be the Lloyd Ex grounds, with the downtown route still being finalized.
Boundary Ford’s Carly Pollard said the goal is a celebration that draws in the whole region.
“It’s a great day that we will be creating, that brings out everybody, whether you live in Lloydminster or outside of Lloydminster,” Pollard said.
The merger brings together two events with deep roots in the Border City. Here Comes Santa Claus is entering its 19th year, while the parade — which has produced plenty of memorable nights downtown, including the scenes captured in last year’s gallery of the 2024 Lloyd Parade of Lights — is heading into its 13th edition.
Kurt Price, event planner with Here Comes Santa Claus, said combining forces with Border City Connects marks a turning point for both traditions.
“We feel we have taken a big step this year with Border City Connects,” Price said.
Sidoryk also took time to thank the volunteers who built the Parade of Lights into what it is today.
He expressed his thanks to organizer Ryan Leblanc and the dedicated volunteers for their work running the parade over the past 12 years, as the event transitions to new hands.
How businesses can take part
Local businesses interested in entering a float in the Boundary Ford Parade of Lights can register ahead of the Wednesday, Dec. 2 deadline.
Applications can be requested by email at pa************@***il.com. Organizers say further details on the day’s full schedule will be shared through social media and the Border City Connects website in the coming weeks.
For families used to two separate nights out before Christmas, this year means circling just one date on the calendar — but, by the sounds of it, planning for a much bigger day.
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