Toronto Santa Claus Parade

The Toronto Santa Claus Parade, is a Santa Claus parade held annually near the middle of November in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. More than a half million people attend the parade every year. It is the world's longest running children's parade, and is scheduled for November 16 in 2008.

The Toronto Santa Claus Parade was started on December 2, 1905 by the Eaton's department store, with just a single float. It now has over 25 floats, 24 bands, and 1,700 participants. The parade is almost 6 kilometers long and can be seen anywhere along this route. It is one of the biggest productions in North America. The parade is currently carried in Canada by Global Television, and broadcast to several other countries, including New Zealand, Ireland and Norway, primarily by broadcasters owned by or affiliated with Global's parent company CanWest. It was also carried in the United States by CBS for many years as part of its All American Thanksgiving Day Parade coverage, since it coincided with American Thanksgiving.