You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout.....okay, you know the drill.  Santa Claus and the Mrs. make their triumphant arrival in Airdrie tonight (December 2) at the end of the annual Santa Claus Parade.

Lynn Kehoe, Chair of the Parade Committee is expecting a big crowd to turn out tonight.  "We get anywhere between 6,000 and 10,000 out for the Santa Claus Parade.  With good weather, we anticipate it at the high end, that 10,000."

The theme for the parade this year is "The Good Old Hockey Game" in honour of Rogers Hometown Hockey which is coming to Airdrie on December 16th and 17th.  Kehoe says, "There'll be lots of great lighted floats and then hockey jerseys and a good variety this year, lots of lights involved, lots of music and walking groups.  It should be great."

Kehoe says 44 floats have registered for the parade, but regardless of how many there are, there's one that everybody wants to see.  "We have Santa and Mrs. Claus.  We have Horsin' Around with their Clydesdale horses this year pulling Santa's sleigh".

Santa will be at one end of the parade and Parade Marshall Mike Loughman will be at the other.  Loughman was chosen to serve as parade marshall because of his advocacy of mental health. 

Kehoe says, after the parade, patience would be a virtue.  "It's busy and we need all the floats to get back to the staging area and things get congested so take some time and go get a coffee or just hang out and enjoy the outdoors and take your time getting out of the downtown."

Main Street will close at 4:30 and the parade begins at 5:00 pm. 

Questions, comments or story ideas? Email us at news@discoverairdrie.com