County welcomes Santa Claus to Bloomfield and Picton

Parade watchers were delighted to see the special Canada 150 float glide through Bloomfield’s parade.

Bloomfield story and photos by Sharon Harrison
Picton parade photos by Olivia Timm
Santa Claus was welcomed to Prince Edward County this weekend with festive parades in Bloomfield and Picton.

Warmer than usual temperatures ushered in Bloomfield’s Festival of Lights parade Friday night as the community was transformed into a twinkling, sparkling fairyland.

The positively balmy evening brought the magic of the night to life for a few hours as colourful lights sparkled and twinkled, faces beamed and children squealed with joy.

The much-anticipated annual favourite has been a late-November tradition for many years as families flock to line Stanley and Main streets for an evening of fun, frolicking and festivities.

The street was closed to traffic for the duration of the parade which wound its way from Shannon Road, down Stanley Street and onto Main Street, ending at the Prinzen Ford dealership.

Myriad decorated twinkling floats and vehicles were a blaze of colour and light and music. The parade included snow men, a dragon, a ship, a lighthouse and a nod to Canada 150 together with a giant birthday cake. An airplane, a racing car, a yacht and a palm tree were also spotted. The musical favourites included the Queen’s University Band, the Belleville Sea Cadets and a steel drum band.

The village’s shops were filled with patrons before the parade, as Main Street was bustling with people enjoying double-digit temperatures. Food vendors served treats and snacks as well as warming hot chocolate as everyone got into the Christmas spirit.

Put together by the Bloomfield Hallowell Recreation Committee, the village of Bloomfield hosts the County’s only night-time Santa Claus parade which falls on the fourth Friday in November each year.

The parade naturally concluded with the appearance of Santa Claus himself, much to the delight of the many excited little people in the crowd who waited patiently for his arrival.

An Avro Arrow was represented at the back of the Canada 150 float.

Picton parade photos by Olivia Timm
Picton’s parade was held under a bright, but chilly sky on Sunday afternoon as crowds lined the path from McFarland Drive, along Main Street to Talbot.