Parade etiquette; learning from the past on Fredericton’s 50th Parade Anniversary  

2024 will mark the 50th anniversary of Fredericton holding its annual Christmas Parade. This year, the parade is taking place on Fredericton’s North Side starting on Devonshire Drive and proceeding on to Union Street towards Main Street and continuing along Main Street until it reaches its end on Johnson Avenue. 

By: Connor Fraser

For nearly the entirety of its existence, the parade has been put on by the Kin Club of Nashwaaksis. The club, which was formed October 31, 1960, is a non-profit whose motto is “Serving the Community’s Greatest Needs.” They even have their own building located at 141 School Street.

Every year the parade switches what side of the river it takes place on, and last year when it took place on the South Side, viewers were a bit disappointed. One such viewer, a mother who drove from Oromocto, was shocked by not only the parade, but by the complete lack of etiquette from those watching on. To recap my interview with her last year that you can read here (There Was Dasher And Dancer And … A Taxidermied Deer? A Recap Of Fredericton’s Santa Claus Parade), the mother found it strange that throughout the parade the people walking in the parade were constantly having to push the crowd back. But, it wasn’t just children who were getting in the way, but fully grown adults were the main perpetrators. The mother was very upset by this, as she had her child sitting in a stroller, parked on the sidewalk facing the parade, and according to her account a group of grown men chose to stand on the street blocking her child’s view. She highlighted that if the city had provided guardrails to block people from entering the street, this would not have happened. 

The mother also discussed how the parade was not as good as she recalled it being when she was a child attending this very same parade. She pointed out that there were barely any floats, the majority of the entries being company-endorsing cars which were barely decorated for the occasion, and with drivers who looked like they would rather be doing anything else. As well, the parade was very long, lasting over an hour, and the final float which held the big man in the red suit was delayed and took some time to arrive. What the mother viewed as the most off-putting thing about the whole parade was one truck participating had in its bed a taxidermied deer with lights strewn over its antlers, to which she had to say “that’s not even festive, it’s scary.”

So readers, when it comes to attending or participating in a parade here are some things to keep in mind:

  1. Remember, this is an event FOR CHILDREN. If you are an adult, stand back and make room for people and their children to see. Don’t be selfish and stand in front of kids, you are being a jerk (and that’s putting it nicely). 
  2. Think about safety. In recent years, we’ve heard about many accidents occurring during parades, which have caused the loss of children and the permanent cancellation of some parades. Remember to stand back and just observe.
  3. If you are participating in the parade, go buck wild. You should decorate and be as festive as you possibly can! This is THE Christmas Parade, it only happens once a year, so try to outdo yourself!
  4. Tying into the last for organizers, don’t let just anyone in the parade. The parade being more than an hour long is ridiculous for this time of year. It’s cold, and kids are staying up past their bedtimes to see it, so make it short and sweet. Make it so only the best, most festive vehicles and floats participate, and leave out the boring and unnecessary ones.

Mostly, just try and make this wonderful event as magical as you can. You are only a child once, so help the next generation have fantastical memories and enjoy their youth. Merry Christmas!

The Brunswickan will see you in the New Year!

Santa Claus Parade
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