Gravenhurst has been welcoming Santa in style since 1953. The Gravenhurst Santa Claus Parade, organized by the Gravenhurst Chamber of Commerce, rolls through the town’s historic downtown on a Saturday morning in late November — the 73rd annual parade steps off at 11 a.m. on November 28, 2026 — officially opening the town’s “Gateway to the Holidays” season.
The route runs from Veterans Way, north along Muskoka Road South to Muskoka Road North, finishing at Peter Street, with generations of local families lining the sidewalks. Float entry is free (the Chamber asks a small contribution toward costs), and community groups, businesses and bands compete for the “Hope Floats” Best Float Award before Santa himself brings up the rear, as tradition demands.
Seventy-plus years in, the parade is woven into the town’s memory: grandparents who once watched from the curb now hold grandchildren in the same spots. It’s small-town Christmas done properly — volunteer-built floats, marching bands, cold noses and hot anticipation — and the moment Gravenhurst’s holiday season truly begins.