The Municipality of Port Hope is set to kick off the holiday season with modified festive events and activities that can be done safely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Candlelight Festival kicks off tonight (Nov 27) but has been modified to include both virtual and self-guided exploration activities this year.
As such, the marketplace is going virtual and the Candlelight Walk and park lighting ceremony have been cancelled but the lights in the park will be turned on as of tonight.
The municipality’s communications and community engagement co-ordinator, Kate Ingram, explains.
And Santa Claus is coming to town and the Parade is tomorrow (Nov 28) between 12 and 2 p.m. with a new, modified format.
This year, the parade will be a reverse or “drive-by” parade in which spectators will be able to drive past a stationary display of festive floats, sights, and merriment.
Spectators will have to remain in their own cars while enjoying the reverse parade.
The parade will be staged on the access road just off Baulch Road and spectators will drive along the access road, past the parade display, and exit onto Toronto Road.
Ingram adds that the parade does end at 2 p.m. so traffic will be directed as such.
Ingram ends by saying there is lots going on in the municipality this holiday season, including horse-drawn carriage rides throughout the downtown, starting tonight from 5 until 8 p.m. and then every Saturday from December 5th to 19th from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m..
The pick-up location is Rotary Park, on Queen Street, right across the road from Memorial Park and masks are required.
Additional details on the parade, including a traffic flow map, can be found at porthopesantaclausparade.ca