Santa Claus is expected to return to downtown Kamloops this winter.

That is according to Carl DeSantis, the Executive Director of the Kamloops Central Business Improvement Association, who says he’s optimistic and confident that the annual Santa Claus Parade will take place on Nov. 28.

“Last year, we didn’t have the parade because of everything. We are planning a model A, B, and C, not knowing what is going to happen over the next month or so,” he said, on the NL Morning News.

“There was a little bit of confusion, I guess, with the statements I saw from the health authorities but we’re going to get some clarity and hopefully we’ll go ahead.”

Instead of what would have been the 40th annual Santa Claus Parade last year, downtown Kamloops was home to a month-long Storybook Village along Victoria Street.

DeSantis says putting on an event of this magnitude takes a lot of planning.

“It’s going to be in the evening on Nov. 28 – not late of course – because its intended for the kids, but its going to be just as it gets dark so that we can bring some excitement back and we have something to look forward to, I guess, and get the season, the festive season, going for everybody,” he added.

“We are very aware that they may be some limitations for us, but we did have Hot Nite in the City back and the feedback that we’ve received about that was absolute positive and clearly there’s an appetite for our community to get outside again.”

In 2019, the Kamloops Santa Claus Parade started at 4 p.m. instead of the usual 11 a.m., which allowed participants to light up their floats as they made their way through the streets of downtown.

We are working on it Jeff. Stay tuned!!

— Downtown Kamloops (@dtkamloops) September 24, 2021