A London Olympic gold medalist will lead, Santa will close, and superheroes will fill out the rest of the Hyde Park Santa Parade.
The annual event, organized by the Hyde Park Lions Club and Hyde Park BIA, is scheduled for Saturday morning. This year's theme is "A Superhero Christmas".
A real-life super hero of sorts, Olympic decathlete Damian Warner, will launch the celebrations as this year's parade marshall. Warner, a London native, took gold and smashed records at the Tokyo 2020 Games. His achievements led to his induction into Canada's Walk of Fame in December 2021.
The parade will begin at Sherwood Forest Mall at 10 a.m. It will then travel west along Gainsborough Road, ending just west of Hyde Park Road.
Donations for the London Food Bank will be collected along the route.
"In the spirit of superheroes aiding those in need, families are encouraged to bring along food donations to support individuals and families facing unprecedented challenges this holiday season," said parade officials. "Our dedicated team of superhero Elves will be stationed along the parade route, ready to collect these vital donations from enthusiastic spectators."
Children will also be able to send their letters to Santa along the parade route or by emailing them to Hyde.Park.Santa.Letter@gmail.com. Every child who submits a letter is guaranteed to receive a response, organizers said.
Those who can't make it to the parade and choose not to email can also deliver the letter during the Hyde Park Breakfast with Santa event scheduled for December 4.
