Santa keeps on truckin'

Parade includes kids from 5 to 95, dogs, horses, and trucks, lots of trucks

The stars of the show.

The Campbellford Santa Claus Parade was a great success on Saturday — just ask the kids who watched, the participants who enjoyed waving to the crowds, and the people who chatted with friends on the sidewalk or on a float.

The parade was longer than most I have seen or been involved with and many of the extra vehicles were a Campbellford parade specialty. There were cleaned and decorated trucks galore — firetrucks, an ambulance, tree trimmers, stone slingers, and snow plows.

I started taking pictures of the trucks to send to my 3-year-old grandson. He lives on an island in B.C. and Santa comes in a couple of weeks — by boat. But I quickly realized the trucks were a major theme of the parade.

This young 'driver' had the whole cool arm out the window vibe, until seconds later tiredness hit.

Players from the Trent Hills Thunder were handing out tickets to today’s game to lucky young fans.

There were a lot of candy canes being handed out and I wound up with several pockets filled. But this young fellow near me was clearly a veteran parade-goer. He brought a basket to make it easier to collect all the candies.

The town's plows and a digger Grinch who was bopping to lively Christmas music.

Car theft is a problem these days and Shriner John Sharpe seems to have lost half his car.

The float from the Campbellford and District Curling and Racquet Club. has the most blowups.

So, what was the highlight? Well, don’t ask me. But judging from the reaction of the kids beside me, it came about half way through when suddenly there was loud yelling and shrieking.

“The horses pooped, the horses pooped. Look it’s real horse poop.”

And they were right, it was.

So my advice to organizer Nancy Allanson. Great job getting all the participants, just make sure that each year you have lots of well-fed horses.