Cloverdale Santa Claus Christmas Parade December 7 2014

The Cloverdale Santa Claus Parade will be on Sunday, December 7, 2014. The organizers say between 5 and 7pm but the parade only lasts about 45 minutes. Perhaps it just depends on where you stand on the route, but its not a huge route.


The parade consists of big truck rigs decorated with lights and Christmas decorations. Plus there'll be a lot of local business and organizations taking part in the parade. The parade finale is Santa Claus, who gets off at Hawthorne Square on 176th Street between 57th and 58th Avenue and lights the Christmas tree atop the Dale Building across the street. This is normally the most populated place on the route to find a spot. If you want to get up close with Santa, arrive early to scope out a spot on 176th Street. Don't forget a donation for the food bank. Volunteers will be walking the parade route collecting them.


Signs are up on street posts around downtown Cloverdale warning of no parking between 2 and 7pm. The closer you get to 176th Street the harder it will be to find a parking spot and you'll get snarled in traffic. I've seen traffic backed up for a block because people waited for the last minute to show up and look for parking. Plan on arriving by 4pm to get a parking spot and find a place on the street to watch the parade.


The parade route begins at the Cloverdale Fairgrounds. Don't look there for parking because Fraser Downs has Sunday afternoon racing and usually the parking lot is full. The parade leaves the fairgrounds and goes south along 177B Street. At 58th Avenue the parade turns west and proceeds to 176th Street. At 176th the parade turns south and ends around 57th Avenue. The trucks head west to the Cloverdale Bypass and then back to the fairgrounds.


Don't look for parking at the old Cloverdale Mall between the Cloverdale Bypass and 176th Street, and 57th and 58th Avenues. Its fenced in while construction workers do .... nothing. Its a vacant lot and will likely stay like that for years. However there is very limited street parking in the alley behind 176th. The public parking lots are at: 56A Avenue, just west of 176th Street behind the fire station; or 176A Street near 57th Avenue (behind the old Clova Theatre) or beside the Bank of Montreal parking lot; and further down 176A at 58A Avenue. Between the 3 lots there are only about 150 or so parking spaces. You'll have to look for street parking on 176A Street, or east of 176A down 57th and 56A Avenues. There are street closures in effect where the parade route takes place so don't wait till the last minute to show up in Cloverdale to look for a parking spot.

Christmas Lights around Cloverdale

I'm using a different camera. It's not so good with night shots but here are a few scenes around Cloverdale with Christmas lights.

On 176th Street and 58A Avenue.

 

 

 

One of the wreaths hanging from a light pole.



 

 

 

 

176th Street looking south from 58th Avenue.

 

 

Painted windows at MLA Stephanie Cadieux's office on 176th Street.

 

 

Fedewich notary office on 176A Street

 

 

 

The Christmas tree on top of the Dale building on 176th Street.

 

 

Lights on Hawthorne Square on 176th Street.

 

Cloverdale Santa Claus Parade - Sunday, December 8, 2013

This year Cloverdale's Santa Claus Christmas Parade of Lights will be held on Sunday, December 8, 2013 starting at 5pm.

Note: this is one week later from the previously announced date. If you show up in Cloverdale on December 1 you will be disappointed.

They changed the parade route last year and I think they are doing the same route again this year. The parade's staging area is in the Fraser Downs parking lot - the fairgrounds on 60th Avenue. The parade will come out of the parking lot and head south on 177B Street. At 58th Avenue, the parade turns west and continues to 176th Street. The parade continues southbound to 56A Avenue and then turns right or westbound. At this point the parade peters out and goes up the back alley to 57th Avenue and then exits at the Cloverdale Bypass and makes their way back to the fairgrounds. Most people try to get viewing spots on 176th Street especially if they have children who want to meet Santa. It's less crowded along 58th Avenue.

The parade features semi truck rigs decked out in Christmas lights and decorations, many coming from Vancouver Island through the Island Equipment Owners Association. There were also be local trucks in the parade. There will be cars, marching bands, and horses taking part. The highlight is Santa Claus at the end of the parade who will disembark his float at Hawthorne Square on 176th Street, between 57th and 58th Avenues, and will throw the switch to light up the Christmas tree on top of the Dale Building.

Last year there were 3 floats that had Santa Claus so perhaps they'll coordinate a bit better this year!

The food bank will be collecting donations and several merchants and vendors will be selling hot chocolate, hot dogs, cookies, and other treats.

Parking around Cloverdale can be a little tricky. All the above mentioned streets on the parade route will have temporary no parking signs on them. If you've parked in the past at the site of the old Cloverdale Mall, you need to find another place to park. The old mall is under construction and behind a fence. There are still some parking spaces around the Cloverdale Legion on 57th Avenue. Public parking lots are on 176A Street at 58A Avenue, 176A Street at 57A Avenue (behind the Clova Theatre, next to the Bank of Montreal), and in the alley behind 176th Street between 56A Avenue and 57th Avenues behind the firehall. These public parking lots between them hold about 150 cars. The old Cloverdale Super Market (Shop-Easy) that closed down on 176th Street and 58th Avenue has a small parking lot that holds about 20 cars. No one is monitoring the parking there but arrive early before the streets get shut down. There is free street parking around Cloverdale, look at 176A and 177B Streets and all the avenues between those streets and then walk downtown. Streets will be shut down by volunteers so car traffic will undoubtedly get quite jammed up as people arriving at the last minute try to find a place to park. If you want to find a good parking spot, arrive before 4pm. If you arrive late, after 4:30pm, try the parking lot at the fairgrounds and catch the parade as it starts.

Christmas Lights going up around Cloverdale

Christmas lights are being hung in downtown Cloverdale. Some of the Christmas lights have been set up on 176th Street and in Hawthorne Square. Several trees on the main street have been decorated and Hawthorne Square has red Christmas lights strung up and some wreaths.

The workers will be finishing the lights by the end of November in preparation for the Santa Claus Parade.

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.

 

Santa's Parade of Lights Sunday December 4 2011

Cloverdale's Santa Parade of Lights will be on Sunday December 4 2011 starting at 5pm and lasting until about 6:30pm depending on where you're standing on the route.

The parade starts at the parking lot in the Cloverdale Fairgrounds on 60th Avenue and 176A Street. It goes down 176A Street and then turns west down 58A Avenue to 176th Street and proceeds along there. I think it ends at 57th Avenue and they head west up to the Cloverdale Bypass. I know I see the vehicles whipping as fast as they can go along the bypass back to the fairgrounds.

As for weather conditions - I've been out there in pretty bitter cold wind. The only time the parade was cancelled was when it snowed a few years ago. We still wandered down but clearly nothing was happening.

The parade features a lot of trucks that come over from Vancouver Island brightly decorated in Christmas lights. A lot of local business are in the parade too with decorated cars and trucks and last year there were some horses from Fraser Downs that participated.

There will be various vendors set up along the parade route and in Hawthorne Square on 176th selling food like hot dogs and hot chocolate.

They'll be collecting donations for the Surrey Food Bank and the Christmas Bureau so remember to bring some non perishable food items with you if you're planning to attend.

Christmas Decorations going up in Cloverdale

Yesterday I noticed the beginnings of Christmas decorations going up in Hawthorne Square in Cloverdale. That's on 176th Street, halfway between 58th and 57th Avenues.

Today I saw a man up a ladder putting more decorations up. So far its mostly wreaths and greenery. No Christmas lights up yet.

I remember last year the Christmas lights went up before Halloween and the day they put them up was very blustery. Nasty rain and wind. These past couple of days have been a cold wind but the rain is holding off. Its cold enough that the weather forecast is for wet flurries overnight and into tomorrow morning. I doubt they'll get the Christmas decorations up today. Then need a cherry picker for the string that goes across each end of 176th Street and for the tall trees just north of the main street.

All this in preparation for the Santa Parade of Lights which this year will be held on Sunday December 4 2011.

Christmas decorations in Cloverdale partially down

I was surprised last week that some of the Christmas decorations on 176th Street in downtown Cloverdale have gone. Namely the 2 red light banners with the stars on both ends at 58th Avenue and 56A Avenue. Also the flag banners of the stars have been replaced by the Cloverdale themed flags. The wreaths in Hawthorne Square are gone.

So they're getting to it a lot faster than last year when the Christmas decorations stayed up until April when a film crew was shooting some scenes and the city had to finally get them down.

The lights are still up on the Christmas trees. That would be the multicolored lights on the trees near the ambulance station on 58A Avenue and the white lights on the trees on 176th Street. Actually the white lights don't look so bad. Several cities have similar lights up year round.

Last Christmas lights up in Cloverdale?

Proving better late than never I think all the lights may now be hung in Cloverdale - 5 days after the Santa Parade has been here.

Today I was driving on the Bypass during a torrential downpour. Really ugly rain and I see 2 cherry pickers near a large tree just off the Bypass, close to the ambulance station, about 176th Street and 58A Ave. I wondered if they were putting up Christmas lights and boy did they pick a really bad morning to do that. They must have gotten absolutely drenched.

Sure enough tonight when I was walking my dog through Cloverdale those big trees are lit up with Christmas lights.

Christmas lights going up!

I just drove down 58th Avenue and on 176th Street are a couple of cherry pickers and men (or at least I didn't notice any females) putting up Christmas decorations.

They picked a good day for it (sarcasm intended). It is raining hard today and although its not really windy right now, the wind is blowing.

The banner that stretches across 176th near the grocery store parking lot entrance with the snowflakes and lights is up. I didn't stick around to see what other Christmas decorations and lights are up.

Its not even Halloween yet!

Christmas decorations in Cloverdale March 2010

Try not to get too excited - but city staff are starting to remove the Christmas decorations from 176th Street. Not bad. Its only March 10, 2010. Christmas is barely over.

Last week I saw city crews putting the poles on the street lamps in preparation for the hanging flower baskets. I wondered if that might mean the Christmas decorations would be coming down soon.

A couple of days ago city crews were cleaning up and gardening some of the flower beds on the median on the Cloverdale Bypass between 58th and 60th Avenues.

Out with the winter decorations and in with the summer ones.

Christmas Lights Still On

I wonder how much longer the Christmas lights will decorate downtown Cloverdale. They were pretty in December, but now that February is here, they're starting to look a little tired. At least they stopped lighting the Christmas tree on top of the Dale Building about the middle of January.

And yes, they're still on, lighting the night with the bright red banners and the stars. I enjoy them nightly if I'm walking my dogs downtown.

Its my guess that the same city crew who handle putting up and taking down Christmas decorations are busy setting up Holland Park for the 2010 Olympics celebrations that will be taking place there in February. Therefore taking down Christmas displays around Surrey are on the back burner.

Perhaps the Christmas lights will come down in April.