It’s official, the Christmas season kicks into high gear Saturday (Nov. 24) in downtown Nanaimo.
Santa Claus arrives by seaplane at 9:30 a.m. courtesy of Harbour Air and opens his workshop at at 101 Gordon St., in the lower level of the Vancouver Island Conference Centre, at 10:30 a.m.
St. Nick then leads the Nanaimo Lion’s Santa Parade at noon making its way down Victoria, Commercial and Front streets.
Things get really cool at Diana Krall Plaza with ice sculptors carving a sleigh and ice throne open to the public for photos from noon on.
Sprott Shaw is providing hot chocolate at the plaza starting at 11:30 a.m.
Other downtown events include the Light up a Life campaign in the Old City Quarter Nov. 24-Dec. 21, Festival of Trees, horse and trolley rides with Santa throughout downtown and Old City Quarter Saturdays noon to 4 p.m., Artwalk Dec. 1-2 and Allison Crowe’s Cocoa and Sweet Treats performance Dec. 5 at 5 p.m. in the heritage Mews and her Nanaimo Tidings concert, 7 p.m. Dec. 8 at St. Andrew’s United Church.
For more information on Christmas happening, please call the Downtown Nanaimo Business Improvement Association at 25-754-8141 or visit www.dnbia.ca.