Band Information

Important Information for Bands

To Register your Band for this year’s Santa Claus Parade, you must let us know right away! Book early to reserve your space!

General Information

All Bands will be staged from Memorial Park. This is the park at the corner of Parkside Drive and Hamilton Street, across From McDonalds
If your group is arriving by bus, your band must arrive at the park by 5:00pm at the latest.
Please check in with a parade representative and then have the bus proceed slowly to the back of the park. Please stay on the bus until it is parked
All band entries (not coming by bus) staged from Memorial Park must be at the park by 5:30 pm. ALL ROADS CLOSE AT 6:00 PM, AND SO ALL VEHICLES MUST ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE AREA BEFORE THE ROADS CLOSE. Please note that there is no parking for passenger vehicles in Memorial Park (other than buses). However, there will be a drop off and pick up location at the front of the park (which will close at 5:45 pm – after that time, no vehicles will be permitted entry to the park). Kindly ensure that you provide sufficient time to locate parking and make your way to the staging area.
MEMORIAL PARK IS A ‘NON VEHICLE PARK’ – ONLY WALKERS, DANCERS, BANDS ETC.
All participants that are staged from Memorial Park will return to Memorial Park.
Please ensure that your entry remains in the staging area behind your designated location until you are called upon.
Bands are required to play throughout the entire parade route so that all visitors from start to finish can enjoy your performance. PARKSIDE DRIVE, if there are spectators there, would enjoy you music, however technically, the parade ends at Main St and Parkside.

Staging Information

Staging of your float or band will be done from one of two parks in Waterdown. A confirmation number is required for participation. NOTE: Your confirmation number DOES NOT represent the order in which you will be staged.

Joe Sams Park (view map)

All floats/vehicles depart from this park and must be at the park and ready to go by 5:00pm
No passenger vehicles will be permitted in to Joe Sams Park after 3:30 pm
Passenger drop off will be at a separate entrance
All participants must return to the park from where they are staged
No participant will be allowed to dismount a float until it returns to its originating park
As Centre Road will be closed until approximately 9:30 pm, please use Concession 5 to access Joe Sams park to pick up participants of the parade

Memorial Park (view map)

All marching bands and walking participants will depart from this park are to be at the park by 5:45 pm
All participants must return to the park from which they are staged.
There will be no parking at Memorial Park for passenger vehicles
There is no pick up or drop off location within the park (i.e. you will need to find a suitable parking spot or drop off spot)
Please ensure you have sufficient time to locate parking and make your way to the staging area

Additional Information for Bands

All marching bands will be staged from Memorial Park (unless otherwise noted – please check list below).
Please have a representative from your group visit the Command Centre at the front of the park to pick up your cheque
If your entry is arriving by bus, you must arrive no later than 5:15 pm and are to park at the back of the park
No buses will be permitted entry to the park after 5:15 pm
If your band is part of a float, it will be staged from Joe Sams Park.
As a reminder, you are required to play throughout the entire parade route and keep pace with the parade.