Thousands line Oakville’s downtown to take in the Santa Claus Parade

After arriving on a fire truck, Santa lit the tree as the crowd cheered.

“I just want to see Santa really bad!” said Peyton Shears, 4, of Fresno who was joined by family and friends on Main Street along the route of the Miracle on Main parade.

Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust, which manages the mall, said the exhibit is one of only 12 Adventure to Santa attractions in the country.

“It gives the kids something to do”, she said.

For Chatham-Kent resident Anna Kennedy, it was her third year attending the parade with her family.

“I probably would have paid that much for pictures this year”, Sulaiha Bitar, a Voorhees mother of three, said before the company switched course. “We’ll probably be back”.

The annual Christmas tradition was sponsored by members of Our Town Coshocton, and featured almost 100 entries decorated in lights, garland and other festive holiday trimmings. Those kinds of projects are important to do especially with young kids, she said, so they grow up with more understanding and compassion.

The Santa Claus Parade is organized by the Ottawa Professional Firefighters’ Association.

The parade starts at Lincoln and Washington and heads north on Washington to Fourth Street where it heads west and ends at Lafayette.