There will be a Santa Claus Parade in Kingsville after all.
The Town of Kingsville and its Fantasy of Lights Committee has announced it will hold it downtown on Saturday, November 20.
This year's parade was thrown into doubt when the Windsor Parade Corporation posted on Facebook that it had failed to reach an agreement with the town in time for this year's event.
"As the Chair of the Kingsville Fantasy of Lights Committee, I was disheartened to learn about the decision of the Windsor Parade Corporation on social media," said Councillor Tony Gaffan. "However, I believe the strength of the Kingsville community as a whole is far stronger! We will unite to create a parade experience that is distinctly us and uniquely Kingsville."
The theme of this year's parade is "What does Christmas mean to me."
The town council still has to approve the event, but funding is in this year's budget. The next meeting is on October 12.
"As a close-knit community, we are all excited to celebrate the traditions that the Fantasy of Lights has brought to Kingsville," said Mayor Nelson Santos. "We look forward to seeing Santa join our community parade and help us flick the switch on November 20."
Santos said it won't be like last year's reverse parade.
"The committee was certainly eager to bring back the parade in its traditional form," he said. "We tried last year with the change, the reverse parade and it just wasn't the same feeling and flavour."
The reverse parade was an attempt to go ahead with the event while adhering to the lockdown last fall.
The event is looking for volunteers, service groups, and businesses to contribute to the parade. The town has posted a link for them to register.
The Windsor Parade Corporation will host parades in Amherstburg on November 27, and in Essex on December 11.