The 58th Annual Santa Claus Parade (2023)

The 2023 Santa Claus Parade took place on November 19th, 2023, with repeat broadcasts taking place on November 25th, December 3rd, December 24th and December 25th.

## Production

Planning for this parade began in late 2022. In edition to all of the modern new floats, the parade also recreated a few classic floats and brought back many classic costumes from old parades, like the Silly Snowmen, who tumbled down the parade route with their rolling snowball from the first parade in 1966 to 1971.

This parade featured 53 floats including many new additions debuting alongside seven returning favourites from the previous parade, along with 40 marching bands, the most in the parade's history. Savannah Guthrie also joins Ken Shaw as a main host.

In April of 2023, the parade became the first parade to not be under the ownership of any organization, but rather as an independent parade.

Another major event that happened in 2023 was companies being banned from the parade altogether. The parade felt like companies were still ruining the parade because by being in the parade all they were trying to do was promote their company. The floats are no longer sponsored by companies. The parade would ban licensed property floats a few weeks later, as licensed characters were part of the whole commercialism stage. However, in November, licensed properties were allowed to be in the parade again, as they weren't as harmful as companies. One of the floats that apepared in the 2023 parade was the highly-anticipated Taylor Swift float promoting her Eras Tour, which will be stopping in Toronto in November of 2024.

## The Hosts

* Savannah Guthrie ("Main" main host)
* Ken Shaw (Main host)
* Hoda Kotb (Street anchor)

## The Lineup (\* indicates a retired unit.)

### Floats

1. The Parade Express- 1st time
2. Imagine That!\*- 1st time
3. Wound-Up Music Makers\*- 1st time
4. Christina The Toy Cricket\*- 1st time
5. Imagination Circuit\*- 2nd time
6. Disney's Wish\*- 1st time
7. Whack-A-Mole- 1st time
8. Olivia The Ocelot\*- 1st time
9. Rocket Girl\*- 1st time
10. Jest Jokin'\*- 1st time
11. Silas The Skunk\*- 1st time
12. Super Mario Bros. Wonder\*- 1st time
13. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour\*- 1st time
14. Pop Music\*- 1st time
15. Gold Rush\*- 1st time
16. Rib-It\*- 1st time
17. Amanda The Axolotl\*- 1st time
18. Barnyard Boogie\*- 1st time
19. Leo\*- 1st time
20. Safari, So Good\*- 1st time
21. Waterskiing Walruses\*- 1st time
22. Santa's Vacation\*- 1st time
23. Underwater Acrobats\*- 1st time
24. Hard Rock\*- 1st time
25. Hip Hop 50\*- 1st time
26. Drake: For All The Dogs\*-1st time
27. R.E.V.E.N.G.E. (Rodent's Electronic Vehicular Engine with New Genetic Enhancements)\*- 1st time
28. Sun Bear\*- 1st time
29. Kickboxing Kangaroos- 1st time
30. The Vikings Of The Northern Coast\*- 1st time
31. Buzz Cuts\*- 1st time
32. A Merry-Go-Round Christmas\*- 1st time
33. Funny Business\*- 1st time
34. Solar System Circus\*- 1st time
35. Martian Mania- 1st time
36. Transportation Of Tomorrow\*- 2nd time
37. Wildest Town In The West\*- 1st time
38. Scream-ic Acres\*- 1st time
39. Migration\*- 1st time
40. Jack Frost\*- 1st time
41. Bernard The Chilly Dog\*- 1st time
42. Jungles Of January\*- 1st time
43. Slippery Slope Park\*- 1st time
44. Cher: Christmas\*- 1st time
45. The Bad Guys: A Very Bad Holiday\*- 1st time
46. Reindeer Gains- 1st time
47. Ringing In The Season\*- 1st time
48. The Christmas Market\*- 2nd time
49. Ye Olde Fashioned Village\*- 1st time
50. Candy Cane Lane- 1st time
51. Trimmed To The Brim\*- 1st time
52. Ho-Ho-Ho-Bot\*- 1st time
53. Santa's Workshop- 2nd time
54. Santa's Sleigh- 2nd time

### Bands

1. University Of Southern California Trojan Marching Band (Los Angeles, California)
2. Florida A&M University Marching 100 (Tallahassee, Florida)
3. The Cavaliers Drum Corps (Rosemont, Illinois)
4. Taipei First Girls High School Marching Band (Taipei, Taiwan)
5. Delfines Marching Band (Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico)
6. Avon High School Marching Black & Gold (Avon, Indiana)
7. Louisiana State University Tiger Marching Band (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
8. Orkiestra Grandioso Radom (Radom, Poland)
9. Texas Southern University Ocean Of Soul (Houston, Texas)
10. Toho High School Marching Band (Nagoya, Japan)
11. Bartlett High School Marching Band (Bartlett, Tennessee)
12. Catawba Ridge High School Marching Band (Fort Mill, South Carolina)
13. Rockford High School Marching Band (Rockford, Michigan)
14. Morgan State University Magnificent Marching Machine (Baltimore, Maryland)
15. Banda De Música La Primavera (Santiago De Veraguas, Panama)
16. Na Koa Ali'i Hawaii All-State Marching Band (Kaneohe, Hawaii)
17. Amador Valley High School Marching Band (Pleasanton, California)
18. Millard West High School Wildcat Marching Band (Omaha, Nebraska)
19. Spartans Drum Corps (Nashua, New Hampshire)
20. Grants Pass High School Marching Band (Grants Pass, Oregon)
21. Jonesboro High School Majestic Marching Cardinals (Jonesboro, Georgia)
22. Liverpool High School Marching Warriors (Liverpool, New York)
23. Holy Rosary Youth Band (Rosario, Cavite, Philippines)
24. Spectrum Community School Marching Band (Victoria, British Columbia)
25. Benque Viejo Marching Band (Benque Viejo Del Carmen, Belize)
26. Robert E. Hendrickson High School Hawk Band (Pflugerville, Texas)
27. University Of Toledo Rocket Marching Band (Toledo, Ohio)
28. Our Lady Of The Rockies High School "Sound Of The Rockies" Marching Band (Calgary, Alberta)
29. Prosper High School Mighty Eagle Band (Prosper, Texas)
30. American Fork High School Marching Band (American Fork, Utah)
31. Castle High School Marching Knights (Newburgh, Indiana)
32. Blue Springs High School Golden Regiment (Blue Springs, Missouri)
33. Kamper Trompetter Korps (Kampen, Netherlands)
34. Penn State University Blue Band (State College, Pennsylvania)
35. Pulaski High School Red Raider Marching Band (Pulaski, Wisconsin)
36. Brass Whanganui (Whanganui, New Zealand)
37. Centerville High School Jazz Band (Centreville, Ohio)
38. Tarpon Springs High School Outdoor Performance Ensemble (Tarpon Springs, Florida)
39. The Colts Drum Corps (Dubuque, Iowa)
40. University Of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band (Amherst, Massachusetts)

### Specialty Characters

1. Mike the Tiger (Appears with the Louisiana State University Tiger Marching Band)
2. Rattler (Appears with the Florida A&M University Marching 100)
3. Rocky (Appears with the University of Toledo Rocket Marching Band)
4. The Nittany Lion (Appears with the Penn State University Blue Band)
5. Tommy Trojan & Traveler (Appears with the University of Southern California Trojan Marching Band)

### Specialty Units

1. Talking Flower Push Float\*- 1st time
2. Carousel Horse Push Floats- 1st time
3. Toy Soldier Push Floats\*- 2nd time
4. Carver Family Push Floats\*- 1st time
5. Peoria's Present Push Float- 2nd time
6. Santa Copter- 1st time

### Specialty Groups

1. Toronto Police Motorcycle Brigade- 38th time
2. Toronto Police Mounted Unit- 57th time
3. International Flag Brigade- 38th time

## Trivia

* This is the first parade to not have companies at all following the company ban that was part of the independent rebrand.
* This is the first time any parade has been run by itself rather than the city it takes place in or a major company.
* This is the first parade...
	+ To not be run by any organization or the city itself, making this the first independent parade.
	+ To not have licensed properties represented in the parade.
	+ To not have companies or sponsors involved.
	+ To take place a week before Toronto's other Santa Claus Parade.
	+ To have a float that features a character with a disability. (Rib-It)

## See also

* The 58th Annual Santa Claus Parade (2023)/Gallery
* The 58th Annual Santa Claus Parade (2023)/Marching Order
* The 58th Annual Santa Claus Parade (2023)/Telecast Script