Ho Ho No: Vancouver Santa Claus Parade is officially cancelled this year

For the fourth year in a row, Vancouver’s Christmas kickoff has been cancelled.

The Vancouver Santa Claus Parade Society has announced that the popular event is once again on hiatus while they continue to search for a new sponsor for the holiday tradition.

“There are no plans for a Vancouver Santa Claus Parade this year as the event requires funding from a title sponsor,” said a spokesperson to Daily Hive.

“It was put on hiatus last year for that reason, and with no sponsor making a commitment to date, the parade remains on hiatus for this year.”

Santa Claus Parade

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For 16 years prior to the first cancellation in 2020 due to the pandemic, the annual Vancouver Santa Claus Parade thrilled audiences of all ages, with crowds of 300,000 flocking to downtown Vancouver to watch marching bands, choirs, float entries, and community groups perform along the 1.8 km route.

Organizers previously shared that the city’s kickoff event of the Christmas season needed a title sponsor to defray the costs of putting it on. Interested sponsors are encouraged to email for more information.

Vancouver Santa Claus Parade

While the Vancouver Santa Claus Parade may be on pause for 2023, organizers encourage everyone to “keep the holiday spirit alive by continuing to support the parade’s benefitting partners,” including the Greater Vancouver Food Bank and the CKNW Kids’ Fund.