With only 51 days until Christmas, Destination Downtown unveiled its 2019 holiday schedule on Monday.
The 69th annual Santa Claus Parade — a crowd favourite — will be held on Saturday, Nov. 23.
This year, however, the parade is moving from Ste-Catherine Street to René-Lévesque Boulevard.
The Christmas extravaganza will have up to 25 floats that will run a two-kilometre route between Guy and St-Urbain streets.
Emile Roux, the executive director for Destination Downtown, a non-profit that aims to promote the economic and cultural development of Montreal’s downtown core, says this year they are thinking bigger and better.
“We are honoured to have our event on the boulevard,” Roux said.
In an effort to go green, some of the floats will be pulled by electric vehicles. Roux said the city aims to have a completely green fleet with in the next three years.
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“It’s not all the floats but it’s something we want to achieve 100 per cent.”
An estimated 300,000 spectators attend the annual event and up to one million tune in to the broadcast.
The parade is scheduled to start at 11 a.m.
Lighting up Ste-Catherine Street
On top of the annual parade, Destination Downtown, in partnership with XP MTL — also a non-profit — will be turning Ste-Catherine Street into a holiday-themed wonderland.
A walkable footbridge and a large-scale light installation will overlook the lit-up strip beginning mid-November at the corner of Ste-Catherine and McGill College.
The installation will be inaugurated on Nov. 21 with a musical act.
Windows in storefronts will also be decked out to reflect the festive spirit, with the city holding a holiday window contest.
Organizers say Montrealers can expect to see Ste-Catherine Street bedecked in Christmas decorations before the first snowfall.
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