Christmas came early to Kingston this year.
At 5 p.m. on Nov. 22, Princess St. was lined with hundreds of bundled-up Kingstonians and visitors, relaxing in lawn chairs and snow suits, all gathered to watch the 21st annual Santa Parade. Participants varied in character, with Kingston dance teams two-stepping down the street, dogs barking happily, and the Queen’s Bands laying out catchy Christmas tunes.
Best of all, a Grinch was even whipping around in a neon green sports car. But the main event of the night was after the parade, at around 7:20 p.m., when everyone gathered in Springer Market Square to watch Santa and Mrs. Claus lead the official Tree Lighting Ceremony.
The lively theatrics of the night were enjoyed by tourists and locals alike. Alumni Paul Medina, ConEd ’24, drove down from Ottawa to watch the Santa Parade and meet up with friends from his Queen’s who were involved in the parade with one of the two Filipino community groups, PIC.KO (Philippine Integrated Community Of Kingston, Ontario).
Decked in ornaments and a “Maligayang Pasko” banner, the float rolled past a crowd waving star lanterns and bold PIC.KO letters, flanked by both the Canadian and Philippine flags. It made for a spectacular sight—one that captured PIC.KO’s mission to uplift Filipinos in Kingston and celebrate community in full colour.
“[The PIC.KO float] was for sure my favourite float to see because I feel like cultural groups don’t often participate in Kingston’s big community events, so it was nice to see some of the diversity of the city represented in the parade, especially from representatives of my own heritage,” Medina said in an interview with The Journal.
Medina mentioned that the ceremony was the largest gathering he’d ever been to in Kingston.
The impressively sized crowd waited with bated breath ahead of the Tree Lighting Ceremony, clutching free hot chocolates that were being given out on King St. E by Kingston Coffee House and singing along to carols. The scene resembled a climactic moment from the beloved Christmas film, Elf, when the people gather in the square to sing together and spread Christmas cheer.
Kingston’s Mayor Bryan Paterson introduced Santa and Mrs. Claus. Santa joked with the crowd about the large turn-out, and everyone counted down from 10 before the tree erupted into twinkling yellow and white lights, a moment now immortalized on countless Kingstonians’ iPhones that were pointed towards the tree during the lighting.
Queen’s student Leo Caporicci, ArtSci ’26, said in an interview with The Journal that the tree lighting ceremony was his favourite part of the night. It was his first time visiting Kingston’s Santa Parade. “Being away from home for school, you can miss that family vibe, so it was nice to see all the excited kids, giving and receiving high fives,” he said.
For Caporicci, engaging with the Kingston community through the parade was refreshing and enjoyable.
“I think the distinction between Queen’s campus and the broader city of Kingston can be pretty vast. It was nice to close that gap and connect with the community, even just for the night. Seeing the Queen’s floats, like the Queen’s Bands and football team, felt like it brought unity to the whole city,” Caporicci said.
Medina echoed this collective feeling of togetherness inspired by the Santa Parade. This year was especially nostalgic for Medina because it was his first Kingston Santa Parade since the COVID-19 pandemic. “It was nostalgic and heartwarming to come back and see Christmas in the city like it was back then,” Medina said.
For the parade and ceremony alike, the holiday cheer shared by everyone present was palpable and inspiring.
Tags
Christmas, City of Kingston, downtown, downtown Kingston, Holidays, parade, Santa Claus, Santa Claus Parade
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