Santa Parade of Lights on Sunday December 2, 2012

The Christmas lights are starting to go up around Cloverdale and you know what that means. The Santa Parade is almost here!

 

The Santa Parade of Lights is on Sunday, December 2, 2012 and starts around 5pm out of the Cloverdale Fairgrounds on 60^th Avenue. The parade will go down 176A Street, turn west on 58A Avenue and then along 176^thStreet. It sort of peters out at 57^th Avenue and the trucks and floats head onto the Cloverdale Bypass and they’re gone. Probably back to the staging area at the fairgrounds for take down.

Here’s the scoop on parking. Get to Cloverdale no later than 4:30 on Sunday afternoon. Streets are being closed and you will end up in a traffic nightmare trying to find a way out and a place to park. The old (demolished) Cloverdale Mall site still has plenty of parking. Access the parking lot from 57^th Avenue off the Cloverdale Bypass. You can also try to access it off the Cloverdale Bypass at 58^th Avenue but no telling when the volunteers will shut down 58^th. There is on street parking on 56A Avenue, 57^th Avenue, and 58^th Avenue east of 176A Street. There is on street parking on 177B Street. There are 2 public parking lots on 176A Street – one near 58A Avenue, the other at the backside of the Clova Theatre, between 57^th and 58^th Avenues next to the Bank of Montreal.

For viewing, the best place if you want to see Santa Claus light up the Christmas tree on top of the Dale Building is around Hawthorne Square on 176^th Street, midway between 57^th and 58^thAvenues. 176^th Street is crowded with the most spectators. I like to watch the parade on 58A Avenue where its less crowded. At least until the people searching for a spot on 176^th Street discover its got lots of openings, and then it gets jammed. If there are too many people, head north along 176A Street to find a good viewing spot.

Bring a non-perishable item. Volunteers from the food bank will be picking up donations.