Santa Claus (and Blue Rodeo legend) in Orono Saturday
Published November 21, 2024 at 10:09 am
The sights and sounds of the festive season return to the streets of Orono Saturday for the annual Santa Claus Parade, with local music icon and Blue Rodeo co-founder Greg Keelor and his wife Caolaidhe as special guests.
The Keelors, who live in the nearby Kendal hills, will lead the parade, which will start on North Mill Lane at 10:30 a.m. and go south on Mill Street to Main Street before heading south to Station Street and then east to end at the Orono Fairgrounds.
Greg Keelor
Special Santa buttons will be on sale along the route and hot chocolate for those in need of a little warmth will be available at town hall.
Some roads in the area will be closed for the event from 10:30 to noon and organizers are asking motorists to use alternate routes.
- Mill Lane to Mill Street
- Mill Street to Main Street
- Main Street to Station Street
- Station Street to Princess Street
- Princess Street to Orono Fair Grounds
Orono’s first Santa Claus Parade was held in 1957 and despite the parade having just three floats, 1,500 people showed up to see them. The parade two years later in 1959 was the last one, however, for more than half a century.
(Santa did make an appearance at the fairgrounds via helicopter – Rudolph and the reindeer had prior commitments – in 1961.)
The parade returned in 2012 and except for the pandemic years has been a Christmas mainstay in the village ever since.
