Costumes

Costumes play a big role in the parade. Their purpose is to escort or following a float. Millions of costumes have been made for the parade over the years. The parade designed their own costumes so they could compete with Eaton's, who was famous for their costumes. A few of these costumes are similar to/based on costumes used in the Toronto Santa Claus Parade, but they aren't the same as the ones from that parade.

Below is a complete guide to costumes in the Santa Claus Parade, which includes a list of every costume.

## Types

### Main Types

#### Face

Face costumes are costumes that don't use heads or masks to cover the performer's face. These types of costumes work the best on human costumes, like the walking skirt costumes.

#### Masked

Masked costumes are just like the face costumes, except the performer wears a mask over their eyes. Masked costumes only work on animal costumes, as they make the performer look more like the animal they represent, and not a person in an animal costume.

#### Head

Head costumes are costumes that use custom heads that the performer wears over their head. Each head is made using papier-maché, and there have been more head costumes than any other type of costume in the parade's history. The parade has seen polar bears, walruses, reindeer and robots alongside many others.

#### Full Body

Full body costumes are costumes that require the performer's entire body to be hidden inside the costume. The best examples of full body costumes are the upside-down clowns.

### Sub-Types

#### Walking Skirts

Walking skirt costumes are costumes involving multiple people. This is a female-only costume, and it depicts a giant skirt worn by the marcher in the centre, surrounded by many marchers holding tinfoil connected to the main skirt.

#### Stilt Walkers

Introduced in 2019 to compete wth Macy's, stilt walkers are costumes involving a performer on stilts, which are long poles that elevate the performer off the ground. Only the bravest of marchers that aren't afraid of heights can walk the whole parade route on stilts.

#### Entertainers

Entertainer costumes are costumes with personalities, entertaining the crowd. These costumes each have unique personalities and are loved by spectators with their high energy and wacky antics. They will also run to the crowd and high-five them, much like the greeters. Examples of entertainer costumes include the Roly Poly Clowns and the Silly Snowmen.

#### Upside-Down

Upside-down costumes are full body costumes that are supposed to look like the characters are walking on their hands. The "hands" are the costume's shoes, and each upside-down costume has its own hand shoes. There is also an hole in the centre of the body where the person inside can see. You can make anything an upside-down costume. Clowns are the most popular variant, but the parade has also seen upside-down ducks, polar bears. monkeys, and even mimes.

#### Go-Kart Drivers

Go-kart driver costumes are costumes that drive around in mini go-karts rather than walking. While the parade has seen clowns driving in clown cars before, the go-kart concept was first introduced in the 1986 parade. Go-kart drivers aren't as common since they were originally defunct in the mid-2000's, but they were brought back in 2023 with the jetski kart walruses. For a long time, go-karts were only driven by face and masked costumes, but in 2023, the walruses became the first head costume to drive a go-kart.

#### Light-Up

Light-up costumes were introduced in 2023. The LED Suits were the first light-up costumes in the parade's history. Light-up costumes have LED lights on them, and sometimes, the LED lights will even light up in different colours.

### Audio

Audio costumes were introduced in 2024, with the One-Man Band being the first costume to implement audio speakers into a costume. Audio costumes like the One-Man Band play music coming out of the speakers hidden inside the costume.

## Costume Rules

Wearing a costume at the Santa Claus Parade is harder than it looks, and there are many rules that imply to wearing a costume.

The most important rule when portraying a character is to stay in character. Every costumed character has their own personality. When in costume, don't be what the Santa Claus Parade's costume department calls "Boring". Don't just walk or wave without any personality. The Santa Claus Parade's costumed characters are supposed to be full of life and personality as if they are actual characters that have sprung out of a book, television series, or any other piece of media. They are supposed to be happy to see everyone, and full of energy. In other words, the characters are supposed to have souls.

Another important rule when in costume is to not reveal your identify. The characters that are being performed are supposed to look real to the spectators, and the fact that there is a person in the costume should never be revealed. While we're on the topic of not revealing identities, do not take off your head, mask, hood, or anything else that hides the performer's identity. Additionally, do not wear anything you would normally wear, like a hat or a scarf. Remember, you are supposed to look as accurate as possible. Your identity should stay hidden, and that is why it's important to keep your head, mask, hood, costume hat, or anything else that hides your real identity on.

The parade route is long, so even if you start to sweat or feel tired or exhausted while walking down the route, do not let that get in the way and continue to stay happy and energized.

If you are in a head costume, remember that the costume's head will impair the performer's vision, and a quick turn or slip could cause an accident. Every head has hidden eyeholes that the spectators will not notice, which is what the performers see through, and it is important to move as naturally as possible while also staying in character. The same rules apply to the full body costumes.

The faces of people in face or masked costumes aren't fully hidden, so they are free to communicate with the spectators. However, the faces of people in head or full body costumes are hidden, so if you are in a head or full body costume, remember that you do not talk. Remember to stay silent the whole time while marching down the route while in character.

Every costume is in a group of people wearing the same costume as you, so remember to stay with your group throughout the duration of the parade. Also, remember to stay in a straight line. It could be horizontal or sometimes vertical.

Don't hold props or anything that can be held in your hands. Additionally, purses, cell phones or shopping bags should not be carried around either.

Also, do not get too close with a float, a band or another costume group. Create gaps with other costume groups so it is not a cluster.

If you are going to say hi to the spectators, be quick, because you have to stay with your group the whole time. Just find some spectators on the street, give them a high-five, and return to your group.

The rule listed above especially implies with greeters. Unlike the other costumes however, the greeters are separate and they are on the sides of the the street throughout the duration of the parade, closer to the spectators, but not too close. However, you can feel free to greet as many people as you want. Have some fun with them, but remember, spectators are very unpredictable and they could give you a pat on the back or even a playful punch. Patience is the key to performing a greeter costume.

Every costume has its own unique personality. Each costume group has its own instructor, who will guide everyone in your group on the personality of the character you are portraying before the parade begins. Consider the playfulness of a polar bear or the goofy nature of a walrus.

Finally, the most important rule is to have fun when playing your character.

## List of Costumes

### 1960s Introductions

#### 1966

Ornaments (Full Body) (1966-1970)Ornament Girl (Face) (1966-1968)Poinsettia (Face) (1966-2019, 2021-Present)Polar Bear (Head) (1966-1986)Reindeer (Head) (1966-1987)Roly Poly Clowns (Male) (Head) (1966-2021, 2023-Present)Silly Snowmen (Head) (1966-1971)TV Clowns (Face) (1966-1969)Upside-Down Clowns (Festive) (Full Body) (1966-2022)Upside-Down Clowns (Red) (Full Body) (1966-2019, 2021)Upside-Down Ducks (Full Body) (1966-1988, 1997-2001)
#### 1967

Upside-Down Polar Bears (Full Body) (1967-1971, 1982-1984)
#### 1968

Toy Blocks (Full Body) (1968-1970, 1972-1975)

### 1970s Introductions

#### 1972

Upside-Down Clowns (Pink) (Full Body) (1972-1991)

#### 1976

Upside-Down Clowns (Blue) (Full Body) (1976-2019, 2021-2022)

### 1980s Introductions

#### 1980

Bell (Green) (1980-1989)Bell (Red) (1980-1989)

#### 1983

Jack-in-the-Box (Face) (1983-2007, 2023)Rockstar (Face) (1983-1990, 2023)
#### 1984

Ragdoll (Face) (1984-1997, 2023-Present)Upside-Down Clowns (Striped) (Full Body) (1984-2019) (2021-2022)
#### 1985

Autumn Queen (Face/Walking Skirt) (!985-1988, 2000-2011, 2023-Present)Pumpkin (Head) (1985-2018, 2023-Present)
#### 1986

Shrimp (Masked) (1986-1988, 1994-2009, 2017-2019, 2021-2023)
#### 1987

Cat (Head) (1987-2019, 2021-Present)Polar Bear (Head) (1987-2019, 2021)Skunk (Masked) (1987-2019, 2021-Present)
#### 1988

Reindeer (Head) (1988-2019, 2021-Present)
#### 1989

Springtime Queen (Face/Walking Skirt) (1989-2007)
### 1990s Introductions

#### 1991

Upside-Down Clowns (Polka-Dotted) (Full Body) (1991-2019, 2021-2022)
#### 1993

Coyote (Masked) (1993-2019, 2021-Present)Monkey (Head) (1993-2019, 2021-2022)Scarecrow (Face) (1993-2019, 2021-2023)
#### 1994

Snowflake Queen (Face/Walking Skirt) (1994-2019, 2021-Present)Upside-Down Clowns (Youngster) (Full Body) (1994-2014)
#### 1995

Fox (Masked) (1995-2019, 2021-Present)Green Army Men (Face) (1995)Tiger (Masked) (1995-2019, 2021-Present)

#### 1998

Butterfly (Face) (1998-2019, 2021-Present)

### 2000s Introductions

#### 2000

Space Queen (Face/Walking Skirt) (2000-2001, 2022-Present)

#### 2002

Beaver (Masked) (2002-2019, 2021-Present)

#### 2004

Elephant (Head) (2004-2017, 2023-Present)Seahorses (Head) (2004-2015, 2023-Present)
#### 2005

The Fruit Bunch (Face) (2005-2010, 2021-Present)Upside-Down Polar Bears (Full Body (2005-2009, 2014, 2021-2022)

#### 2008

Flower (Face) (2008-2019, 2021-Present)Kangaroo (Masked) (2008-2019, 2021-Present)

### 2010s Introductions

#### 2012

Flower Queen (Face/Walking Skirt) (2012-2019, 2021-Present)
#### 2013

Toy Soldier (Face) (2013-2019, 2021-2023)
#### 2015

Construction Worker (Face) (2015, 2022-Present)Dinosaur (Masked) (2015-2016, 2021-2023)
#### 2016

Sailor (Face) (2016-2019, 2021-Present)Sea Turtle (Head) (2016-2019, 2021-Present)

#### 2019

CN Tower (Face/Stilt Walker) (2019, 2021-2022)
### 2020s Introductions

#### 2021

Capybara (Head) (2021-Present)Chameleon (Head) (2021)Goat (Head) (2021-Present)Milk (Head) & Cookie (Face/Full Body) (2021-2023)
#### 2022

Banana (Head) (2022-Present)Mime (Face) (2022)Polar Bear (Head) (2022-Present)Race Car Driver (Head) (2022-Present)Robot (Head) (2022-Present)Rubber Chicken (Masked) (2022)Stack O'Monsters (Head) (2022-Present)TV Clowns (Face) (2022-Present)Upside-Down Mimes (Full Body) (2022)Yeti (Head/Stilt Walker) (2022)
#### 2023

Axolotl (Head) (2023)Bell (Green) (Face) (2023-Present)Bell (Red) (Face) (2023-Present)Cardinal (Masked) (2023-Present)Cyborg (Masked/Stilt Walker) (2023-Present)Four Seasons Fairies (Face) (2023-Present)Greeter Clowns (2023-Present)Jet Ski Kart (Go-Kart) (2023)LED Suit (Masked/Light-Up) (2023-Present)Lizard (Head) (2023-Present)Martian (Head) (2023-Present)Ornaments (Full Body) (2023-Present)Popcorn Queen (Face/Walking Skirt) (2023-Present)Queen Bee (Face/Walking Skirt) (2023-Present)Roly Poly Clowns (Female) (Head) (2023-Present)Silly Snowmen (Head) (2023-Present)St. Bernard (Head) (2023-Present)Stilt Walker Clown (Face/Stilt Walker) (2023-Present)Upside-Down Clowns (Blue) (Full Body) (2023-Present)Upside-Down Clowns (Festive) (Full Body) (2023-Present)Upside-Down Clowns (Orange) (Full Body) (2023)Upside-Down Clowns (Pink) (Full Body) (2023-Present)Upside-Down Clowns (Polka-Dotted) (Full Body) (2023-Present)Upside-Down Clowns (Red) (Full Body) (2023-Present)Upside-Down Clowns (Sleepytime) (Full Body) (2023)Upside-Down Clowns (Striped) (Full Body) (2023-Present)Upside-Down Clowns (Summertime) (Full Body) (2023-Present)Upside-Down Clowns (Youngster) (Full Body) (2023-Present)Upside-Down Ducks (Full Body) (2023)Upside-Down Monkeys (Full Body) (2023-Present)Upside-Down Polar Bears (Full Body) (2023-Present)
#### 2024

City Tourist (Face) (2024-Present)Lamppost (Face/Light-Up/Stilt Walker) (2024-Present)LED Suit (Masked/Light-Up/Stilt Walker) (2024-Present)One-Man Band (Face/Audio) (2024-Present)Penguin (Head) (2024-Present)Sunshine Queen (Face/Walking Skirt) (2024-Present)Toy Soldier (Face) (2024-Present)Toy Soldier (Face/Stilt Walker) (2024-Present)Upside-Down Walruses (Full Body) (2024-Present)