Wednesday, November 25, 2020
Southpoint Sun - 3
Leamington’s Christmas Parade Saturday at Point Pelee By Mark Ribble LEAMINGTON — Santa and the Missus are all set to greet visitors at this year’s Leamington District Chamber of Commerce Reverse Christmas Parade. Organizers put the final touches on plans for the drive-thru style at Monday’s final planning meeting, where logistics, electrical, communications and route planning were high on the list of priorities. Point Pelee National Park is hosting the parade for the first time. Chamber General Manager Wendy Parsons is feeling good about this year’s parade, despite the obvious restrictions. “We think people will love it,” she says. “This year’s edition will have 30 entries, so those who come out will have lots to see.” She’s asking the viewing public to be patient, however. “We will do our best to keep things moving,” she said. “We ask that people plan for a bit of a wait, but once we get started, things should move right along.” The parade route will take visitors inside the park gates, where they’ll see their first parade entries at the park orientation lot. This is where you’ll drop your letters to Santa, Toys for Tots and any canned good donations. “Canada Post, Toys for Tots and Salvation Army will all be set up there,” said Parsons. From there, the spectators will continue down to Northwest Beach, where they will get to see a number of big entries, then view several more entries on their way to the Park Visitor Centre,
where traffic will then turn around and entry into the park, the traffic flow asking that you take any garbage from head north. The final stop will include should move smoothly. your visit with you, so no undue stress the Marsh Boardwalk, and then Blue “We expect that the waiting will is created on park staff in the clean-up Heron Picnic Area , where Mr. and Mrs. be outside the park,” she said. “Once process. All-in-all, the 2020 version of the Claus will be anxiously waiting to greet they’re moving, things will go quickly.” old and young alike. Point Pelee is 6 km long from the gates Leamington Christmas Parade should Parsons is asking people to not line up to the Visitor Centre, so that should pro- be an experience like no other, according outside the park gates until 5:30. vide a 12 km buffer for the parade, giv- to Parade Chair Chad Robinson. “The line begins at 5:30 at the park ing them space to keep things moving. “We had to think in a different way Emergency washrooms are available this year,” he said. “It was important to gates,” she said. “Anyone arriving before that time will have to turn back un- at the Visitor Centre, but they are cau- have the children see Santa Claus and tioning everyone to stay in their vehi- the natural setting provided us with a til the line-up starts.” The line-up will go back up Point cles whenever possible. They are also spectacular opportunity.” Pelee Drive to the Bevel Line. PARK ENTRANCE KIOSK The place to get in line is at Bevel SANCTUARY LOOKOUT Line. The line-up will not be accesPOINT PELEE CHRISTMAS PARADE MAP 1 sible from concessions B,C,D or E. 2 3 Those intersections will be barriL EGEND caded and will allow local traffic SANCTUARY only. Leamington OPP will be out PATH FOR DRIVERS 4 to help with traffic concerns. NORTHWEST BEACH DRIVING DIRECTION Parsons says that after the paSANCTUARY PARK REFERENCE AREAS MARSH STORE CANOE RENTAL rade, folks can go home up whatevCENTENNIAL BIKE & HIKE TRAIL WASHROOMS er road they want. P PARKING “Once they exit the park, they are WATER DUNES free to use any road to exit the area SLEEPY HOLLOW SALVATION ARMY and disperse,” she said. “But the 1 (PARK ORIENTATION) only way in is through the Bevel MADBIN JINA LETTER DROP OFF 2 Line and Point Pelee Drive.” (PARK ORIENTATION) BLACK WILLOW BEACH The parade starts at 6 pm and is TOYS FOR TOTS 3 (PARK ORIENTATION) WHITE PINE expected to run past 8 pm. SANTA CLAUS & MRS. CLAUS Monique Oltrop, from Point Pelee CENTENNIAL BIKE & HIKE TRAIL 4 (MARSH BOARDWALK / BLUE HERON) National Park, made a good point P when the discussion came up about WEST BEACH LAKE ERIE spectators having to wait to get in. VISITOR CENTRE Washrooms “At a regular parade, people WOODLAND NATURE TRAIL think nothing of waiting outside to see the floats,” she said. “Waiting P WINTER PARKING TIP EXHIBIT AREA inside their warm cars shouldn’t be a huge issue for them.” She did state that once you gain A map outlining this Saturday’s Reverse Christmas Parade at Point Pelee.
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