recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Penguin Pizza Party

Penguin Pizza Party is a float that appears in the Santa Claus Parade.

## History With The Parade

In 2018, Pizza Pizza decided to sponsor a float called the Penguin Pizza Party, which features a family of penguins having a pizza party. All of the penguins are eating pizza, and one of them is taking a selfie.

The float returned in the 2019 parade, and it was brought back again in the reimagined 2020 parade before it was retired.
Toronto Raptors

* 2014
* 2015
* 2016

Footage captured by Mother's Own Kitchen on YouTube

The Toronto Raptors are a team in the National Basketball Association. Their first season was in 1995 and received the most votes in a poll for the name of Toronto's basketball team. Since then, they have always had a great team, which lead to them winning their first NBA title in 2019.

## History With The Parade

Canada's pro basketball team started sponsoring floats in 2014 to celebrate their 20th anniversary, along with two other Toronto-based pro sports teams, the Maple Leafs and the Toronto FC. This float featured a larger-than-life raptor scoring a slam dunk in front of everyone as he boosts himself out of the stands with kids cheering him on.

In 2015, to promote the 2016 NBA All-Star Game taking place in Toronto, the Raptors float was given some upgrades. The logo for that year's all star game was placed on the net pole, and the Raptor's jersey was changed to an All-Star Game jersey with the All-Star Game logo on it.

This float went back to its original self in 2016, with the Raptor sporting his iconic jersey once again. This time, the jersey's text was recoloured from red to black to make it look like the traditional Raptors jersey.

In 2017, the float went through another upgrade. this new incarnation featured a new sculpt of the Raptor, plus, for the first time ever, he is joined by Stripes, the mascot of the NBA G-League's Raptors 905. The two showed off their basketball skills by spinning in circles, making this the only Raptors float to use animation.

The modern float was upgraded once again in 2018, now being rethemed to Sun Life Financial's Dunk For Diabetes campaign. Every time a Raptors player scores a slam dunk helps prevent type 2 diabetes. The raptor was no longer animated, and is arm was repositioned, with the addition of a young girl scoring a slam dunk. This float was used in the Raptors Championship Parade along with the Scotiabank Arena float.

The last time the Raptors had their own float was in 2019 to celebrate their first NBA title win, as well as their 25th anniversary. This time, the Raptor used on this float was actually a repainted Stripes sculpt, which was originally used in the Scotiabank Arena float from the Championship Parade. For this parade however, the Raptor sported his throwback jersey in honour of the Raptors' 25th anniversary. It is likely that the Raptors will get their own float again sometime in the near future.
George Cohon

George Alan Cohon (April 19, 1937 - November 24, 2023) was a Canadian businessman and lawyer. For a long time, Cohon was the founder and senior chairman of McDonald's Canada, as well as one of the co-founders of the Toronto Santa Claus Parade.

In 1982, after Eaton's decided they would cancel their Santa Claus Parade, Cohon, along with Ron Barbaro, revived to the parade to the delight of everyone. Cohon founded the Parade Organization in 1982 along with Barbaro, and since he was the senior chairman of McDonald's Canada, McDonald's one of the original sponsors that brought the parade back to life.

Cohon was the Santa Claus Parade's honourary chairman. He served as a co-chairman and member of the Board of Directors from 1982 to 2014. In 2014, Cohon retired from the Board after 33 parades as a co-chairman.

On November 24, 2023, which was two days before the 2023 Santa Claus Parade, George Cohon passed away at the age of 86.
Grey Cup

The Grey Cup is the championship game of the Canadian Football League (CFL), as well as the trophy that is awarded to the champions. The most recent Grey Cup champions are the Montreal Alouettes (2023).

## History with the Parade

In 2007, the Santa Claus Parade added a bonus float near the beginning of the parade. The float was sponsored by the CFL, and it featured the 2007 Grey Cup champions, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. A few Tiger-Cats players rode on the float, and the Grey Cup was with them.

In 2012, in celebration of the 100th Grey Cup Festival being held in Toronto and hosted by the Toronto Argonauts, a float was made to promote the event. The float featured a giant football player, who is actually a remodeled version of Qwark from Ratchet & Clank, scoring a touchdown. A spinning Grey cup was also on the float, while a carriage with the Grey Cup itself on it was in front of the float. In 2014, the float was recycled into the Toronto FC's float, and the football player became a soccer player.
Upside-Down Clowns

Upside-Down Clowns are costumed characters that appear exclusively in the Toronto Santa Parade. These clowns are hands-down a popular favourite in the parade (literally)!

## History With The Parade

Upside Down Clowns were introduced to the parade in the early 1930s, and they have kept so many kids laughing whenever they passed by. This is why Eaton's kept the clowns in the parade, and they've still made people of all ages happy. They would also be the inspiration behind the Upside-Down Ducks, which were introduced in the early 1980s. In 1982, Despite Eaton's no longer owning the parade, the Upside-Down Clowns stayed in the parade. In the mid-1990s, their looks would be updated (like the one on the right). In the mid-2000s, they would receive new heads. Unfortunately, 2010 would mark their last appearance, and in 2011, they were replaced by the Upside-Down Monkeys. The Upside-Down Clowns would finally make their grand comeback appearance in 2023.
The Candyland Train (1984)

The Candyland Train was a float from the Santa Claus Parade.

## History with the Parade

The float was made in 1984. The float featured a train made entirely out of candy travelling through candy canyons and fruit cake mountains. The train was made up of gingerbread with peppermint wheels and a candy cane funnel, and it travelled on a bright pink track down the streets of Toronto. The hills and mountains were all fruit cakes with candy cane trimmings, and kids riding on the train were all dressed as candy cane elves. The following year, the float was refurbished into the Gold Rush float from the Province of Ontario.
Frozen

Frozen is a 2013 American 3D computer-animated adventure musical fantasy comedy-drama film, created and produced at Walt Disney Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Inspired by the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, The Snow Queen, it is the 53rd animated feature in the Disney Animated Canon.

The story centres fearless optimist Princess Anna, who embarks on a journey to save the kingdom of Arendelle from a curse conjured by her older sister, Queen Elsa. Along the way, she partners up with Kristoff, a misanthropic mountain man, Sven, his trusty reindeer, and Olaf, an enchanted snowman with dreams of experiencing summer.

The film premiered at the El Capitan Theatre on November 19, 2013 and went into general theatrical release on November 27 in the United States, Canada, and the Philippines. It was met with widespread acclaim from critics and audiences, winning two Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song ("Let It Go"), among numerous other accolades. Frozen was also a commercial success; it accumulated over $1.2 billion in worldwide box office revenue, $400 million of which were earned in the United States and Canada and $247 million of which were earned in Japan. It was often regarded as one of the highest grossing films of all time.

Frozen was followed up with a 2015 theatrical short, Frozen Fever, and a 2017 theatrical featurette, Olaf's Frozen Adventure. A stage adaptation made its debut on Broadway in 2018. A feature-length sequel, titled Frozen II, was released on November 22, 2019 and a third film is being developed.

## History with the Parade

Disney still had a positive relationship with the parade in the 2010s, so they partnered up to make a Frozen float to promote the movie. This float is based on the teaser trailer, where Sven is trying to get Olaf's carrot, but both characters aren't used to the ice, making them slip, fall and trip in order to get to it.

Another Frozen float debuted in 2015 to promote the animated short, Frozen Fever, which was premiering on Disney Junior. This time, Olaf returns, now joined by the Disney Parks walk-around versions of Anna and Elsa, along with snow monster Marshmallow's children. This was the last time Frozen was represented in the parade.
Candy Cane Lane

Candy Cane Lane is a Christmas comedy film distributed by Amazon Prime Video. This film was released on December 1st, 2023 on Amazon's streaming service, Prime Video. The movie was directed by Reginald Hudlin, and it stars Eddie Murphy, Tracee Ellis Ross and Jillian Bell. The film's story revolves around Chris Carver (Played by Eddie Murphy), who is desperate to win his neighbourhood's annual house decorating contest. Chris makes a deal with a stranger named Pepper (Played by Jillian Bell), for the use of magic to make Chris' house as festive as possible. However, Chris' family eventually finds out that Pepper is actually an evil elf who has transformed her past victims into plastic dolls. Chris needs to rally his family to stop Pepper from causing chaos before it's too late.

## History with the Parade

Amazon Prime Video partnered with the Santa Claus Parade to make a float promoting Candy Cane Lane for the 2023 parade. The float features many props and scenes from the movie. At the front of the float is the tiny plastic car with Pip, Cordelia and Lamplighter Gary driving in circles. Behind them are carved nutcrackers, the 12 Days of Christmas Carousel Tree that Chris bought at Kringles, and the Candy Cane Lane Spectacular archway, all on top of a base painted in red and white, like a candy cane's stripes, which is also a reference to the floor inside Kringle's, which is the store that was formerly owned by the evil Pepper. Speaking of Pepper, her car's license plate is also at the front of the float, and there are twelve peppermints on both sides.
The Good Dinosaur

The Good Dinosaur is an animated Pixar film. The story was about a young apatosaurus named Arlo, who can't get past his fear of everything. After he loses his father, he meets a young caveboy named Spot, who is lost and trying to look for his family. If you want to know the full story, feel free to watch the movie on DVD, Blu-ray or on Disney+.

Despite recieving a 77% on Rotten Tomatoes, critics were dissapointed because not only was it too stressful for children, but also because Pixar didn't market it properly.

## History With the Parade

The float was made in 2015, which was the year the movie was released. Arlo was the star of the float, and Spot was riding on his back, and together they roamed through the prehistoric grasslands. the float made its only appearance that year, because the movie flopped and the float was made mainly to promote the movie. However, the trees used on the float were later reused on the Royal Ontario Museum float.
Mr. Peanut

Mr. Peanut is the former mascot of Planters Peanuts.

## History With The Parade

In the early 2010s, Mr. Peanut appeared as a walk-around character, travelling by foot. He wouldn't receive a float until 2014. The float got an upgrade in 2015, and it appeared until 2019.

In 2020, despite dying and coming back to life as Baby Nut in a Super Bowl commercial, Mr. Peanut returned to the parade as a walk-around character and stopped making appearances after that, most likely because the Parade company then realized what REALLY happened to him.
Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton is an American country singer. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and she is known as the queen of country music. Her biggest song is 9 to 5.

## History With The Parade

Dolly Parton appeared as one of the guests in the 2020 parade. She was promoted the most out of all the guests, and she performed Holly Dolly Christmas, the title track of her Christmas album with the same name.
Winter Forest

*Not to be confused with 1985's Winter Frolics float.*

Winter Forest is a float from the Santa Claus Parade that features forest animals having fun in the wintertime.

## History

In 2020, McDonald's sponsored a float called Winter Forest, which was recycled from the Olympics float that appeared the previous year. The float featured a mouse, squirrel, raccoon, fox and bear having fun in the wintertime. Mouse enjoys skating with Squirrel, who is into hockey, Raccoon loves the high energy of skiing, and Bear and Fox back them up by forming a jazz band. The float returned in the 2021 parade with minor changes, like more animals, one of them being a reindog. The float made its final appearance in the 2022 parade. The Following year, it was recycled into LEGO's float, Play Is Your Superpower.
Narrator Clown

*"Come along with me, and soon you'll see that holding tight to my hand is the way to Eaton's Christmasland!"*

The Narrator Clown was the narrator of the 1967 Eaton's Santa Claus Parade. He served as the narrator for the parade's broadcast. In the story, the clown is the one that helps the two kids find Christmasland. He waved at everyone passing by, and he spent a lot of time sitting with the spectators, and even hitching a ride on one of the floats. The person who portrayed him is unknown, but during the TV special he was voiced by Bernard Cowan, a CBC announcer who was born in 1922 and died in 1990. He was best known for voicing many characters in the 1967 Spider-Man cartoon series.
Moana

Moana is a 2016 animated film created by the Walt Disney Company. The movie stars Auili'i Cravalho as Moana, a brave and adventurous island princess and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as Maui, a powerful shapeshifting demigod. The movie won several awards for its music, which was written by former Hamilton star Lin-Manuel Miranda, who would later team up with Disney again to write the music for another successful Disney movie, Encanto, released in 2021.

An animated series was announced to premiere on Disney+ in 2023, which follows the events of the original 2016 film, revolving round the Moana's further events. Additionally, a live-action film will release in theatres sometime in the future, as announced by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson on April 3rd, 2023.

## History With The Parade

In 2016 the parade's float designers designed a float to promote the movie Moana. The float featured cutout versions of Moana and Maui, along with HeiHei the rooster, Pua the pig and the Wave. The float made its only appearance in the 2016 parade, mainly for the promotion of the film.

## Trivia

* As the float passed by, the song "You're Welcome" from the film was played on speakers that were attached to the float.
Eloise The Elephant

Eloise The Elephant was a float from the Santa Claus Parade.

## History with the Parade

The float first appeared in the 1986 parade. It was recycled from the previous year's Jumbo the Elephant float, with many changes being made to the float. She is now pink in a circus outfit, complete with beautiful trimmed eyelashes and a blue hat, which appears to be inflatable. As she passed by, you could hear real elephant sounds through speakers hidden inside the float. However, the intense cold weather caused some of her mechanisms to not function. Despite her trunk not moving and her deflated hat, she still amazed everyone. She was retired after 1986.
Thetoastyboio

Not KnownThis user is not really known that much to be in the wiki so it may get deleted upon further notice...Reason: i dont really think toasty is that known hereTheToastyBoio is a guy who did many wrong things yet somehow got back in due to an actual apology.

## ToastyBoio

**Trivia:**

* Toasty likes to exploit in a lot of games.
* Toasty will always come back (not)
* Toasty lives in Romania.
* Toasty is actually good at some games.
* He likes to play Minecraft.
* He is just a toasty man.
* Miyos nickname in the server was changed to "Call Toasty "Femboy"" so you should refer to him as so
North Toronto Collegiate Marching Band

*"Coming up is a band that loves the Santa Claus Parade so much, they claim it's the reason the band exists!"* - *Susan Hay*

The North Toronto Collegiate Marching Band is a band that comes from North Toronto Collegiate, located in Northern Toronto.

## History With The Parade

This band made its Santa Claus Parade debut in the late 1940s, and they keep coming back to the parade every year with the exception of the two virtual parades. The band made their most recent parade appearance in the 2022 parade.

## Trivia

* This band is the longest-running band in the parade's history. They have made more appearances in the parade than any other band that has marched in it.
Space Jam

Space Jam is an American live-action/animated hybrid family sports comedy film directed by Joe Pytka and produced by Warner Bros. Family Entertainment. The plot of the film revolves around NBA players' basketball abilities being taken away by aliens form another planet, so Bugs Bunny and the other Looney Tunes characters have to team up with NBA legend Michael Jordan to save basketball once and for all. The movie grossed a total of $250.2 million around the world.

A sequel was released in 2021 with Space Jam: A New Legacy, which featured NBA all-star LeBron James in the place of Michael Jordan. This second film was a lot less successful than the first film.

## History with the Parade

Space Jam was first represented in the 1996 parade. This was the first time a licensed float appeared in the parade since 1981. The float was recycled from a space-themed float that appeared in the 1995 parade, with Bugs and Lola Bunny riding a spaceship.
Pizza Party

Pizza Party is a float from the Santa Claus Parade.

## History With The Parade

The float was made in 2021, and it featured pizza slices literally having a pizza party. Pepperoni performs popular hits, Hawaiian does the hula (Anyone get the joke?), and Veggie does the limbo with Pizza Pizza's famous Creamy Garlic Dipping Sauce. This float made its in-person debut in 2022. For the float's third appearance in 2023, a new character, Garden Veggie, joined the party.
Girl Pow-R

Girl Pow-R is a Canadian pop girl group influenced by kids' music groups such as Kidz Bop and the Mini Pop Kids. This Juno Award-nominated Toronto-based group is also a performance academy for young girls between the ages of 6 and 19 that enjoy singing, dancing and performing. Girl Pow-R helps girls become strong and confident through singing and performing, and new members are always welcome.

## History with the Parade

While Girl Pow-R has never made appearances in the main parade, three of the group's members performed at the Warehouse on Media Day 2022.
Playtime With Dolly

Playtime with Dolly is a float from the Santa Claus Parade.

## History with the Parade

This float first appeared in the 1986 Santa Claus Parade. The float features Dolly, a giant doll, walking her giant dog and cat in front of her dollhouse. This float was made to show that the float characters are getting bigger and bigger. As John Dawe said, "There is a 30% increase in the size of the characters."
Gahanna-Lincoln High School Golden Lions Marching Band

The Gahanna-Lincoln High School Golden Lions Marching Band is the official marching band of the school of the same name, located in Gahanna, Ohio.

## History With The Parade

The band's first appearance was in the 2015 parade as they were invited to take part in it as representatives for America. Unfortunately this was their only appearance in the parade.
Polka Band Gazebo

The Polka Band Gazebo was a float from the Eaton's Santa Claus Parade.

## History with the Parade

This float was designed for the 1967 parade. This float was part of the Swiss Alps section of the parade, serving as an accompaniment float for the Ski Lodge float. The float depicted a bright pink Swiss gazebo where George Kash and his Oktoberfest polka band played polka versions of holiday classics, entertaining the spectators lining the streets.
Finn's Great Santa Tracking Adventure

Finn is the name of the 2014 Sears Holiday Bear. He was sold at Sears locations during the 2014 holiday season.

## History with the Parade

In 2014, Sears would continue to promote their holiday bears through floats with the Finn's Santa Tracker float. this float was recycled from the Nate's Bear Mail float that appeared the previous year, with Darcy being replaced with Finn, the plane now repainted red instead of blue, the addition of jets and a compass, and the float now taking place in a snowy environment. This float was retired after the 2014 parade, and the following year, it was replaced with the final Sears holiday bear float to successfully make its way through Toronto, Darcy's Toy Delivery.
The Powerpuff Girls

The Powerpuff Girls is an American superhero animated cartoon series. The show was created in 1998 by animator Craig McCracken. The original series was produced by Hanna-Barbera productions and aired on Cartoon Network from November 18, 1998 to March 25, 2005. A reboot premiered on Cartoon Network and would air on the network from April 4, 2016 to June 16, 2019.

In the show, a scientist named Professor Utonium was doing a science experiment by mixing sugar, spice, and everything nice, but then he accidentally added an extra ingredient called Chemical X. And thus, Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup were born. The show's episodes revolve around the three girls fighting crime and battling evil villains, including their arch-nemesis, Mojo Jojo.

## History with the Parade

In 2001, Cartoon Network and Warner Bros. Pictures partnered with the Santa Claus Parade to make a Powerpuff Girls float as part of a promotion for The Powerpuff Girls Movie, set to be released on June 22, 2002. This float featured Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup bursting down the parade route, ready to take down the evil Mojo Jojo, featured at the front of the float. This float made its only appearance in 2001 for the promotion of the movie, despite the franchise being at the peak of its popularity in the early 2000's.
Bumblebee

Bumblebee is a character from the Transformers franchise. Like the other characters, Bumblebee is a vehicle, in this case, a yellow buggy. When there's trouble in the area, Bumblebee teams up with Optimus Prime and the other Transformers to defeat villains such as Megatron.

## History With The Parade

In 2018, Paramount Pictures sponsored a float to promote the new movie, Bumblebee. This was the first time Transformer was represented in the parade since 1997's Beasties float. The float featured bumblebee, along with his car form. The float made its only appearance in 2018, mainly for the promotion of the movie.
Yogi Bear

Yogi Bear is a cartoon character created by William Hanna & Joseph Barbera. Since his debut in 1958, Yogi became the first breakout character from Hanna-Barbera and went on to appear on TV, in comic books and in films.

## History With The Parade

In 2010, a float was made to promote the 2010 film Yogi Bear. The float featured Yogi and Boo-Boo's walk-around counterparts in Jellystone Park. The float made its only appearance in 2010, mainly for the promotion of the film.
The Tooth Fairy

The Tooth Fairy is a fantasy character of early childhood in western countries. The legend states that when children lose their baby teeth, the Tooth Fairy shows up at night, trading the fallen tooth with a toy or money.

## History With The Parade

In 2020, Altima Dental agreed to sponsor a new float, which featured the Tooth Fairy and some of her friends, including a tooth, a toothbrush and toothpaste.

In November of 2021, a Toronto Star post confirmed that this float will return in the 2021 parade alongside Celebrating Our Heroes and the Star's very own Holiday Gift.
Western University Mustang Band

The Western Mustang Band is the official marching band of Western University in London, Ontario.

## History with the Parade

The Western Mustang Band made their parade debut in the late 80's, most likely 1988, and they would be popular favourites in the parade, so they would keep coming back every year. they made their most recent appearance in the 2023 parade and it doesn't look like they will be going anywhere anytime soon.
Pond Hockey At The North Pole

Pond Hockey At The North Pole is a float from the Santa Claus Parade.

## History With The Parade

This float made its debut in 2021. The float featured a group of elves playing hockey, both ice hockey and sledge hockey. The elves are dressed in hockey helmets and colourful uniforms. There are also reindeer watching the action from their stables. This float made only one appearance, retiring after the 2021 parade. The following year, the float was recycled into Desjardins Insurance's Winter At The Cabin float. Despite this, the float pieces still survive at the warehouse.
The 116th Annual Toronto Santa Claus Parade (2020)

The 116th Santa Claus Parade premiered on December 5th, 2020.

## Floats

1. Celebrity Clowns- 5th time
2. Mother Goose (Manulife)- 2nd time
3. Countdown To Christmas 50/50 Raffle (CP24, CHUM 104.5 & MLSE)- 1st time
4. The Tooth Fairy (Altima Dental)- 1st time
5. Holiday Sleigh-In (CTV Television)- 2nd time
6. Celebrating Our Heroes (Scotiabank)- 1st time
7. Gingerbread House & Timbits (Tim Hortons)- 2nd time
8. The Power Of Sports (MLSE)- 2nd time
9. Snow Day (Canada Protection Plan)- 2nd time
10. Reindeer Party (Leon's)- 2nd time
11. The Dalton School (The Dalton School)- 3rd time
12. TD Music (TD Insurance)- 2nd time
13. Winter Forest (McDonald's Restaurants)- 1st time
14. Imagination Starts Here (IndigoKids)- 2nd time
15. Holiday Treats (Metro Grocery Stores)- 1st time
16. Penguin Pizza Party (Pizza Pizza)- 3rd time
17. The Gift of Trusted News (The Toronto Star)- 1st time
18. #FillUpWithLove (Dairy Farmers Of Ontario)- 2nd time
19. Nordic Bright Toys (Canadian Tire Corporation)- 1st time
20. All Christmas Music (98.1 CHFI)- 2nd time
21. The Toy Express (Mastermind Toys)- 3rd time
22. Mrs. Claus' North Pole Setup (Mastercard)- 5th time
23. Santa's Sleigh- 5th time

## Bands

1. Philippine Heritage Band (Vaughan, ON)
2. Toronto All-Stars Steel Orchestra (Toronto, ON)
3. E.L. Crossley Secondary School Marching Band (Font Hill, ON)
4. Hitmen Drumline (Calgary, AB)
5. Ridley College Cadet Corps Band (St. Catherine's, ON)
6. Malvern Collegiate Band (Toronto, ON)
7. Burlington Teen Tour Band (Burlington, ON)
8. Salvation Army Toronto Service Band (Toronto, ON)

## Performers

1. Meghan Trainor, performed "Holidays"
2. Ruth B, performed "Silent Night"
3. Shaggy & CARYS, performed "Catch Myself Some Rays"
4. Toronto Symphony Orchestra, performed "The Nutcracker Suite, Trepak''
5. Kelly Clarkson & Brett Eldridge, performed "Under the Mistletoe"
6. Dolly Parton, performed "Holly Jolly Christmas"

## Hosts

1. Melissa Grelo
2. Kelsey McEwen

## Trivia

* The 2020 Parade marked Mrs. Claus' 10th appearance.
* This is the first time the parade has been broadcasted at night.

## Gallery

The 116th Annual Toronto Santa Claus Parade/Gallery
The Looney Tunes Show

The Looney Tunes Show is an animated series that ran on Cartoon Network from 2011 to 2013. The show was your typical Looney Tunes cartoon, with Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and the whole Looney Tunes gang going on wacky adventures.

## History with the Parade

In 2011, the parade team designed a float to promote the series. The float featured the gang on Summer Vacation. Bugs Bunny, seen at the front of the float, is surfing, Daffy Duck is relaxing in a hammock, Tweety Bird swings on a palm tree while Sylvester the Cat tries to catch him, and Porky Pig relaxes in a folding chair. The float was retired and disposed of after 2011 and all but one of the characters said "That's all, folks!" as Sylvester is still used as a decoration in the North York warehouse.
Countdown To Christmas 50/50 Raffle

The Countdown To Christmas 50/50 Raffle is a lottery campaign that allows anyone watching the parade to participate.

## History With The Parade

In 2020, A new float was made to promote the 50/50 raffle. The float was recycled from the Royal Ontario Museum float, and it features a skating polar bear who was reused from the McDonald's Winter Sports float. And no, this float had no relations to the raffle whatsoever.

The float returned in the 2021 parade, and penguins from the Winter Sports float were added. In 2022, the Reindeer Party float took over as the official promotional float for the raffle. the polar bear, however, was repainted and reused for Desjardins Insurance's Winter At The Cabin float. 2022 was the last year for the raffle.
Penguin (1967)

"*Penguin, penguin in black and white. Others are seen in blue or green, and some choose red or yellow instead, but you did best with your small request. Just black and white, you're a handsome sight.*"

The Penguin was a self-propelled float from the Eaton's Santa Claus Parade.

## History with the Parade

This penguin first waddled down the streets of Toronto in 1967. He could open and close his beak, flap his wings, and of course, waddle his feet. This was the float's only appearance.
Scooby-Doo

Scoobert Doobert "Scooby Dooby-Doo" Doo is the eponymous character and protagonist of the animated television franchise of the same name created in 1969 by the American animation company Hanna-Barbera. He is a male Great Dane and lifelong companion of amateur detective Shaggy Rogers, with whom he shares many personality traits. He features a mix of both canine and human behaviors (reminiscent of other funny animals in Hanna-Barbera's series), and is treated by his friends more or less as an equal. He speaks in a slurred, dog-like voice. His catchphrase is "Scooby-Dooby-Doo!"

## History with the Parade

Scooby-Doo has made a few appearances in the parade as a walk-around character, appearing on floats sponsored by Canada's Wonderland.

Scooby wouldnt be the star of his own float until 2001 with a float titled Scooby-Doo's Roller Coaster. Here, we see Scooby and Shaggy on a roller coaster, about to drop, hence the scared looks on their faces. In 2002, a ghost was added to the back of the float, and the float was renamed Scooby-Doo's Ghoster Coaster, which is the name of one of the roller coasters located in what is now Planet Snoopy.

In 2003, the giant animated Scooby and Shaggy were reused on a new float, where Scooby and Shaggy are now on Turnpike cars. This float returned in 2004 and was retired after that, officially marking Scooby-Doo's last appearance in the Santa Claus Parade.
Redtag.ca

Redtag.ca is a travel agency in the Canadian provinces of Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia. The company provides reservations and travel information provided by many of its customers' third-party suppliers.

## History with the Parade

In celebration of the tourism company's 10th anniversary, Redtag.ca made its Santa Claus Parade debut in 2014 with a float titled Tropical Vacation. The float depicted a sunny beach environment with a sea turtle (A repainted version of one of the chocolate turtles from Nestlé's Turtles float) jumping out of the ocean waves and an elf relaxing in his folding chair. This float returned in the 2015 parade and was retired after that. It was most likely disposed of in 2016, though the sea turtle was later reused on the Ripley's Aquarium Of Canada float from 2017.
The Toy Wagon

The Toy Wagon is a float from the Santa Claus Parade.

## History with the Parade

The float first appeared in the 1986 parade, and it used an interesting concept. The float was a self-propelled wagon pulled by two people in clown costumes, and it overflowed with giant toys. There was a giant drum, a Jack-In-The-Box alongside a Jill-In-The-Box, and even a giant top that could really spin. The top was originally a UFO that was used for the Galactic Visitors float that appeared the previous year. This float made its only appearance in 1986.
CAA School Safety Patrol

The CAA School Safety Patrol is a non-profit organization that educates kids how to be safe around busses. The program is currently over 90 years old.

## History With The Parade

To celebrate the 90th anniversary of CAA's school safety patrol in 2019, The parade made a float to celebrate the special occasion. It featured a smiling school bus in front of two dogs in crossing guard outfits, allowing the bus to stop and wait for a family of ducks to finish crossing the road. The float made its only appearance that year.
Mountain Dog

The Mountain Dog was a self-propelled float from the Eaton's Santa Claus Parade.

## History with the Parade

This giant pooch made his debut in the 1967 parade as the first of three floats themed to the Alps. He is a big orange-brown dog (Possibly a St. Bernard) with a big collar (Which is where the driver is hidden) that turns his head, looking at all of the spectators while barking.
The 81st Annual Toronto Santa Claus Parade (1986)

The 1986 Toronto Santa Claus Parade was held in November of 1986.

## Floats

1. Season's Greetings (Toys"R"Us)
2. Once Upon A Rhyme (Canadian Tire Corporation)
3. Playtime With Dolly (McDonald's Restaurants Of Canada)
4. Fairyland Friends (Petro-Canada Products)
5. Storybook Land (Mattel Canada)
6. The Nightingale (Speedy Muffler King)
7. Ping-Ping The Panda (Province Of Ontario)
8. The Adventures Of The Musical Mice (General Mills Of Canada)
9. Percy The Pelican (Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream)
10. The Mermaid Of Perce Rock (Dominion Securities)
11. Big Tex & His Wild West Pals (Shoppers Drug Mart)
12. Eloise The Elephant (Black's Cameras)
13. Under The Big Top (Willy Wonderful)
14. Performing Animals (Kodak Canada)
15. The Flying Canoe (Prudential Insurance Company of America)
16. Old Man Winter (Coca-Cola Canada)
17. Winter Frolics (CN Tower)
18. Old-Fashioned Carolers (Carnation)
19. The Toy Wagon (Canada's Wonderland)
20. Santa's Helpers (Consumers Distributing)
21. Santa's Sleigh

## Video

🎅 The Complete 1986 Metro Toronto Santa Claus Parade 🎅
All Christmas Music

All Christmas Music is a float from the Santa Claus Parade.

## History with the Parade

This float debuted in the 2019 parade, under the sponsorship of radio station 98.1 CHFI. This float featured their chibi-inspired characters used in advertisements skating on a winter pond, listening to Christmas music. As the float passed by, speakers on the float played a live CHFI broadcast. This float is still used in the parade today.
The Gingerbread Man

The Gingerbread Man is a fairy tale that was first written in 1875 on an issue of St. Nicholas Magazine. The story is about and childless old woman who bakes a Gingerbread Man, who eventually leaps out of her oven and runs away. The Gingerbread Man outruns the woman, her husband, several farmers and farm animals, including a hungry fox, while saying, "Run, run, as fast as you can! You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man!"

## History with the Parade

Just like most other fairy takes, the Gingerbread Man was represented in the Eaton's Santa Claus Parade many times. One of the times it was represented was in 1977, where the Gingerbread Man rose on top of a self-propelled version of the fox that tried to eat him.
Surfboard Fun

Surfboard Fun is a float from the Toronto Santa Claus Parade.

## History With The Parade

The float was made and designed by the Parade Team in 1991. The float featured a blue whale in sunglasses riding a surfboard feeling like a flying fish. The base of the float was recycled from the King Neptune float from 1985. The float was so popular, it returned to the parade the following year in 1992 before it was retired. It was a one-of-a-kind float, which is what makes it so special.
Barbie

(Photo: Jason Verwey)

Barbie is a line of fashion dolls produced by the toy company Mattel, Inc. The Barbie doll was created by businesswoman Ruth Handler and released in March 1959. The Barbie name is the figurehead of a larger line of accessories, playsets and collectable dolls of Barbie’s friends and family members. Since their initial launch, there have been over 1 billion Barbie dolls sold, making them the most profitable brand to be produced by Mattel.

Starting in 1987, Barbie has expanded to a media franchise including animated films, television shows, music videos and video games. She has had a significant impact on social values by conveying characteristics of female independence, and with her multitude of accessories, an idealized upscale life-style that can be shared with affluent friends.

In addition to direct-to-DVD films, Barbie has most recently made her way onto the big screen with the release of Barbie, a full-length feature film starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, directed by Greta Gerwig and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film was released on July 21, 2023 and it is based on Mattel's popular dolls.

## History with the Parade

Barbie's first parade appearance was in 2005 to promote Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus. Barbie would get many more floats as the years went on, all promoting a new Barbie direct-to-DVD full-length movie, including 2007's Barbie as the Island Princess, 2010's Barbie: A Fashion Fairytale, and 2014's Barbie and the Secret Door. After 2014, Mattel stopped sponsoring Barbie floats, and Thomas the Tank Engine would return to the parade lineup for the first time in ten years.

In total, Barbie has been featured on ten floats in the parade's history, from her first appearance in 2005 all the way to her final appearance in 2014.
Toyland Band (2014)

The Toyland Band is a float from the Santa Claus Parade.

## History with the Parade

This float was made in 2014, and it featured three Toyland characters playing musical instruments. at the front of the float was a drumming robot with the number 98.1 on its chest as a reference to the float's sponsor, radio station 98.1 CHFI. Behind the robot was a teddy bear on guitar, and at the back of the float was pink toy elephant playing the accordion. This float was retired after the 2014 parade and was replaced by the Christmas Music Fun float the following year.
Punkinhead The Bear (book series)

Through the years, Punkinhead has appeared in many books published by Eaton's. Below is a list of every book from the series.

* Punkinhead, the Sad Little Bear
* Punkinhead in Santa's Workshop
* Punkinhead and the Snow Fairy
* Punkinhead and the Christmas Party
* Punkinhead the Lollipop Man
* Punkinhead in Animal Valley
* Punkinhead and the Magic Wishes
* Punkinhead and the Little Princess
* Punkinhead and the Clock that Fell Asleep
* Punkinhead and Jock the Jumper
The Olympic Games

The Olympics is a sports event that takes place every two years, bringing every country around the world except the Vatican City together to compete in games.

## History With The Parade

In 2017, the Royal Bank of Canada partnered with the parade once again with a float that celebrates their support for Canada's Winter Olympians. The float featured Team Canada athletes and their moose mascot standing in front of Canada Olympic House.

In 2018, a different float was added to the parade with the same concept, but with a different design. This time, Leo, the Royal Bank's mascot, is skiing down the hill with Olympians cheering him on. The float returned in 2019 and was retired afte rthat.

Following the float's retirement, the float was recycled into McDonald's Winter Forest float, and RBC wouldn't get a new float until 2022 with Leo Tobogganing.
Performing Animals

Performing Animals is a float from the Santa Claus Parade.

## History with the Parade

This float debuted in the 1986 parade the third float in the circus section of the parade. The colourful display featured a balancing seal, a a monkey chasing his tail on a tricycle, and a tiger jumping through a ring of fire. The 1986 parade was the only known appearance of this float.
Jumanji

Jumanji is a live-action-adventure-comedy film series. The cast consists of Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart & Nick Jonas. There are currently two films in the series, with 2017's Welcome To The Jungle and 2019's The Next Level.

## History With The Parade

In 2017, Columbia Pictures partnered with the parade to design a float promoting Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. The front of the float has a video game system. Behind it are an elephant, a hippo and a jaguar, all in front of the Jaguar Shrine. this float was retired after the 2017 parade. However, the elephant still survives as a decoration in the North York warehouse.
The Muppets

The Muppets is the Muppets' seventh feature film, released in 2011. The film was released on DVD on March 20, 2012. The film, written by Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller, was also the Muppets' first Academy Award winning film, bringing home the trophy for Bret McKenzie's "Man or Muppet." It is also the highest grossing Muppet film.

The movie was about Walter, the world's biggest Muppets fan, and his friends Gary and Mary from Smalltown, USA, reuniting the Muppets to stop the evil oilman Tex Richman from destroying the Muppet Theatre in favour of the oil underneath.

## History with the Parade

The float was made in 2011 to promote the film's theatrical release. The float was announced to the public by Kermit the Frog himself on CP24 Breakfast in October of that year. It featured a stage with Kermit the Frog, and Miss Piggy waving to their fans, Fozzie Bear popping out of a pit beneath the stage with a rubber chicken, The Great Gonzo and his chicken girlfriend Camilla about to launch out of a cannon, and Animal, the drummer for the Electric Mayhem, peeking from behind. This float captured the energy of the Muppets and it was a popular favourite with the kids.

The float was used one last time in the 2012 Toronto St. Patrick's Day Parade to promote the film's DVD release. even though the float is retired and was disposed of, Kermit and Animal are still used as decorations in the Float Warehouse in North York.
Baldwin High School Band Of The Braves

The Band of the Braves is the official marching band of Baldwin High School in Milledgeville, Georgia.

## History with the Parade

The Band of the Braves made their parade debut in 2007 as the representative for the United States in that year's parade. They are one of only a couple American marching bands that have ever participated in the parade and have travelled further than any known marching band in the parade's history.
The Toy Express

The Toy Express is a variant of Santa's Workshop.

## History with the Parade

This float was recycled from the 2015 version of Santa's Workshop. The workshop remained the same, but the only notable change was the addition of a train carrying toys. This float debuted in 2018, and it would return for the next three years. In 2018 and 2019 it was sponsored by Toys"R"Us, but in 2020 the sponsor was changed to Mastermind Toys because of Canadian supremacy. This float was retired after 2021 and was replaced by the new Holiday Woohoo Factory in 2022.
Holly Jolly Fun Run

The Holly Jolly Fun Run is an event hosted by the Santa Claus Parade.

## History Wirth The Parade

The first Holly Jolly Fun Run took place in 2013. After that, it became an annual tradition. The joggers continued to jog up until 2019. In 2020, since the parade was a televised-only event, it was cancelled for that year and the following year. The Holly Jolly Fun Run is celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2023, which also marks the event's eighth run through Toronto.
Old Man Winter

Old Man Winter is a fictional personification of Winter. The name is used in ordinary conversation when describing the Winter season. Old Man Winter is one of a few personifications of winter alongside Jack Frost and Rip Van Winkle, and his name is derived from ancient Greek mythology. In literature, he blows icy breath out of his mouth heralding the arrival of Winter.

## History with the Parade

The first known Old Man Winter float was made in 1981, which featured a giant Old Man Winter head blowing his icy breath at the snow, turning Fall into Winter. This float was retired after 1981 following Eaton's final parade.

Another float based on the fictional symbol of wintertime was made for the 1986 parade. The new float featured Old Man Winter himself blowing his icy breath at the crows as he brought they snowy weather to the streets of Toronto. He flew by on a snowy blanket with the help of two snow geese. If you listen closely as the float passed by, you could hear the snow geese quacking like ducks, which is inaccurate, because geese don't quack in reality. This float was very popular amongst everyone who loves winter.
Nordic Bright Toys

The float heads down International Street in 2020.

Nordic Bright Toys is a decoration & toy collection made by Scandinavian countries sold at Canadian Tire.

## History With the Parade

In 2020, Canadian Tire agreed to sponsor a new float for the parade after sponsoring The Gift Sleigh for two years. The float was recycled from CIBC's Miracle Stars, and it featured many decorations and toys, like ornaments, but the stars were Chase from Paw Patrol, an LOL doll and a Lego Pirate Minifigure. the float was retired after 2020 to make way for Canadian Tire's new float, titled Pond Hockey At The North Pole.
Celebrating 50 Years

Celebrating 50 Years is a float from the Santa Claus Parade

## History with the Parade

This float was made in 2013, and it features elves that were repurposed from Metro's float that appeared the previous three years. This float was also made to celebrate the company's 50th anniversary. The float featured baker elves hard at work, preparing a 50th anniversary feast. this float returned in 2014 for the company's actual 50th anniversary, where the donut stack was replaced with a cake. Two of the elves were reused on the Santa's Workshop float.
Leo Tobogganing

Leo Tobogganing is a float from the Santa Claus Parade.

## History with the Parade

This float made its debut in 2022. As the name implies, the Bank's mascot, Leo the Lion, is tobogganing. Leo's sculpt was reused from the Olympics float with an added helmet and rotated hands. His toboggan plows through the snow, with headlights for safety purposes. A few kids also rode with him as he slid down the parade route. This float made only one appearance, retiring after the 2022 parade.
My Friends Tigger & Pooh

My Friends Tigger & Pooh was an animated preschool series inspired by Winnie the Pooh. The show was made by Disney and aired on Playhouse Disney, which would later be Disney Junior, from 2007 to 2010. The show revolves around a young six-year-old girl named Darby, a character that was created only for the series, along with Winnie the Pooh and Tigger, solving mysteries in the Hundred Acre Wood.

## History with the Parade

In 2008, Playhouse Disney partnered with the parade to make a new float to promote the show. This float debuted in 2008, replacing the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse float. This float featured the Hundred Acre Wood, which includes Pooh's house. Featured on the float are the walk-around versions of Pooh, Tigger and Darby used in the Disney Parks. This float was retired after the 2008 parade and was replaced with the Handy Manny float the following year.
Ice Box Blues

Ice Box Blues was a float from the Santa Claus Parade.

## History with the Parade

The float's only known appearance was 1992. This float, sponsored by the Campbell Soup Company, featured a band of vegetables playing holiday tunes, as a pickle and chilli pepper blast their horns on a seesaw. Also featured on the float are a tomato who sung her heart out backed up by a trio of carrots, along with a mushroom on accordion and a leek on the conga. Real music was played on the float as well as George Kash and his band played a jazzy rendition of Feliz Navidad. The float was retired and disposed of after the 1992 parade. In 1995, the chilli pepper and pickle later returned on a push float.