Santa will be in Alma on Dec. 23 at 2pm.
“He likes to visit the little village as close to Christmas as possible so that he can confirm the children’s requests,” said volunteer Sharon Grose. “He wants to see the streets of Alma lined with people.”
“Just how Santa will cruise through town this year is top secret,” noted Grose. “He likes to surprise all the good little boys and girls. Alma is one of the last parades on Santa’s lists for December. Unlike the big cities where they start their parades in mid-November, Alma Optimists like to wait until almost Christmas to invite the jolly old elf to town.”
Last year’s parade featured brightly decorated tractors and farm implements in the traditional Christmas colours of green and red, as well as a few others.
The volunteer fire department trucks and township snow plows were decorated, Christmas music was in the air and the local church groups sang carols on their floats. There were palomino ponies prancing down main street and a troupe of unicyclists riding along the streets.
“No one knows until the parade begins what Santa will be in – it is always a surprise.”
The theme of this year’s parade is “Peace on Earth.”
Following the parade the Alma United Church’s Celtic Christmas Cantata will take place at 3pm.
Santa will also be attending the Alma Optimists Breakfast at the Alma Community Hall on Dec. 23 from 8:00am-11:00am.
The Alma Optimists will be hosting their annual Christmas holiday swim meet from the Alma Presbyterian Church on Jan. 2 at 1:30pm. Cost is $1 per person, the balance is paid by the Alma Optimist Club. The Optimists organize a bus to take students to the Sports complex in Fergus for the afternoon, providing an outing for kids during the Christmas break.
On Jan. 5, teams can register for the Alma Plunger Plop at 1pm at the Alma Community Hall. The cost is $40 per team of four. The Alma Plunger Plop takes places at the “Alma Dome” in February. All teams must register in advance.
