It's time to set up the Christmas tree, decorate your house and spread some holiday cheer! The holiday season may look different this year but that's doesn't mean you can't keep your traditions alive including the longstanding holiday favourite The Original Santa Claus Parade in Toronto.You can't head out to see the parade this year, but anyone can attend the two-hour primetime special hosted by
The Social's Melissa Grelo and
Your Morning's Kelsey McEwen on Saturday, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. ET/PT on CTV and CTV2. This year's parade will bring the magic of Christmas into your home with the parade taking place along a nighttime closed parade route at Canada's Wonderland in Toronto. The parade will adhere to all the local health and safety protocols to ensure that Santa lands safely into the homes of all Canadians across with new safety adaptations. We need Santa safe and healthy so he can deliver presents to all the children in the world on Christmas Eve.This year's Santa Claus Parade will be packed with guest performances from a star-studded list of celebrities including Dolly Parton, Kelly Clarkson and Brett Eldredge, Meghan Trainor, Ruth B., Shaggy ft. CARYS, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and more. The parade will feature 25 floats, eight marching bands and all the holiday magic to help you enjoy the most wonderful time of the year. The parade will also feature season's greetings from celebrities around the world including, Sam Smith, Tyra Banks, Sting, Paris Jackson, Mayim Bialik, Bebe Rexha, Ty Dolla $ign, Brett Kissel, Kelly Ripa, Ryan Seacrest, Giacomo Gianniotti, Ian Armitage, Jose Feliciano, Charlotte Cardin and Tyler Shaw.
“We are thrilled to continue this favourite holiday tradition and welcome Santa safely into every town and city this year,” said Pat DiVittorio, Vice-President, Programming, CTV and Specialty. “Without a live parade this year, it’s been a labour of joy to create even more magic for children of all ages by our longtime partners at The Original Santa Claus Parade and our talented Bell Media Studios production team.” [video_embed id='2074930']RELATED: Meghan Trainor gets candid about pregnancy and her Christmas album[/video_embed]Clay Charters, President and CEO of The Original Santa Claus Parade said that this event is "an iconic event with a 116 year-history," adding that it's also a "symbol of community that represents the start of the holiday season."Canada's Wonderland has decked out the amusement park with holiday decorations for this year's parade, which will be filmed in advance without spectators or mass gatherings because of the ongoing pandemic. Viewers will get to enjoy the night-time parade filled with dazzling lights illuminating the floats and marching bands, and the parade will also highlight frontline workers leading the fight against COVID-19.You can also catch CTV's festive float featuring
etalk co-anchor Tyrone Edwards and a sneak peek of the holiday classics available on the CTV Holiday Hub (now streaming on CTV.ca and the CTV app) like Hook, The Perfect Holiday, Eight Crazy Nights, and much more.Watch The Original Santa Claus Parade Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. ET/PT on CTV and CTV2 and catch an encore presentation Saturday, December 12 at 1 p.m. so you can relive every minute of the festive celebration. Don't forget to mark your calendars because Santa Claus is coming to town![video_embed id='2077737']BEFORE YOU GO: Kelsey reveals she is pregnant with emotional video[/video_embed]
