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Yellowknife kicks off holiday season with festive floats

Santa Claus parade returns for 2021 holiday season
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Crowds lined the parade route in downtown Yellowknife, Nov. 20 for the return of Santa. Ian Down/NNSL photo

Yellowknifers got a special visit from the North pole during last Saturday’s Santa Claus Day Parade.

Hundreds lined the streets along 53rd, Franklin and 49th to catch a glimpse of the 5 p.m. procession. Although the theme this year was “Rock n’ Roll Christmas,” this year’s entries had a wide variety of themes and styles: These included an Irish-themed procession flying four-leaf clovers, a North Shore Towing float hauling a Peanuts-themed display, and a bucket truck from Northview Utilities adorned with Christmas lights.

Of course, trailing the procession in a sleigh headed by a team of reindeer was Santa Claus, himself.

This year’s event was a return to a traditional parade after 2020’s modified event: last year, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, attendees had to drive by a stationary parade in their vehicles. Because of the heavy traffic, and frigid temperatures that forced participants to pack it in right on schedule, many residents weren’t able to catch a glimpse of the floats that night.