Make way for Santa and his new sleigh.

The City of Winnipeg says several downtown roads will be closed on Saturday from 1:30 p.m. to about 8 p.m. to allow for the Santa Claus Parade.

The full list of street closures is:

  • Portage Avenue will be closed from Sherbrook Street to Main Street
  • Portage Avenue East will be closed from Main Street to Westbrook Street
  • Hargrave Street, Colony Street, Vaughn Street, Kennedy Street, Edmonton Street, Garry Street, Fort Street, Carlton Street, Donald Street, and Smith Street will be closed at Portage Avenue
  • Main Street southbound will be closed between McDermot Avenue and Graham Avenue
  • Main Street northbound will be closed between St. Mary Avenue and Portage Avenue
  • Pioneer Avenue westbound will be closed between Main Street and Westbrook Street
  • Westbrook Street southbound will be closed between Portage Avenue East and William Stephenson Way
  • William Stevenson Way eastbound will be closed between Main Street and Waterfront Drive

Winnipeg Transit buses operating near the parade will be re-routed from about 1:30 in the afternoon until 11 at night.

The parade will feature a new float this year. A GoFundMe fundraising campaign to buy a new float (and save the parade) raised $161,401 of a $100,000 goal.

This is the 109th parade.