Santa Claus Parade thrills thousands 26 Pics

"No, you'll shoot your eye out." Photos by Kate Adams.

Thousands of people lined Chippewa, Ferguson and Main Streets Sunday to catch a glimpse of the floats that depict their favourite holiday movies during the annual Santa Claus Parade.

An air of excitement, which helped to keep the crowd warm, could be felt from children, parents, grandparents, friends and pets alike as they waited in anticipation for the jolly fat man in the red suit to show.

The crowd giggled and cheered in delight as they showed their approval and support for businesses, organizations and schools that invested their time and effort to helping make this year’s event a success.

Once again the DIA float captured the essence of this year’s theme. With vision and wit DIA board member Kathleen Brotherton-Cutsey transported parade goers back to a northern Indiana town in 1940 where 9-year-old Ralphie Parker has only one gift in mind for Christmas -- the Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot range model BB gun with a compass in the stock.

Kudos also goes out to Ken Anderson of The FOX for his Elf costume, the St. Joes - Scollard Hall band for their precision marching, Nipissing University for transporting the crowd back to the Stone Age and especially the Canadore Dental Hygienist students for handing out toothpaste for kids to brush their teeth with after consuming all the candy canes handed out.

But of course the true show stopper of the whole parade was Santa Claus.