Durham’s Santa Claus parade season stretches from Newcastle in mid-November to Sunderland in December. For families choosing one outing, the useful question is not which parade is biggest: it is which time, location and atmosphere fit your group.
Durham Tourism’s current parade guide lists the following dates and starting areas. Times are local to Durham Region. These are planning references, not complete route maps; check the organizer’s current route and any road closures before leaving.
The parade calendar
- Newcastle Santa Parade: November 15 at 5:30 p.m. | King Avenue East, Newcastle. Read the individual article.
- Bowmanville Santa Claus Parade: November 21 at 10:30 a.m. | King Street, Bowmanville. Read the individual article.
- Uxbridge Santa Claus Parade: November 21 at 11 a.m. | Brock Street, Uxbridge. Read the individual article.
- Oshawa Santa Claus Parade of Lights: November 21 at 6:30 p.m. | Bond Street West, Oshawa. Read the individual article.
- Pickering Santa Claus Parade: November 28 at 10 a.m. | Whites Road (temporary 2026 route), Pickering. Read the individual article.
- Orono Santa Claus Parade: November 28 at 10:30 a.m. | Main Street, Orono. Read the individual article.
- Cannington Lions Santa Claus Parade: November 28 at 11 a.m. | Cameron Street, Cannington. Read the individual article.
- Beaverton Lions Santa Claus Parade: November 28 at 6 p.m. | Beaverton Fairgrounds, Brock. Read the individual article.
- Ajax Santa Claus Parade & Spectacle of Lights: November 28 at 6 p.m. | Bayly Street and Harwood Avenue South, Ajax. Read the individual article.
- THEE Farmers ’ Parade of Lights: December 2 at 5:30 p.m. | Old Scugog Road & Concession 9 Road, Clarington. Read the individual article.
- Whitby Santa Claus Parade: December 5 at 10 a.m. | Brock Street North, Whitby. Read the individual article.
- Scugog Santa Claus Parade: December 5 at 5 p.m. | Scugog Fairgrounds, Port Perry. Read the individual article.
- Courtice Santa Claus Parade: December 6 at noon | Nash Road, Courtice. Read the individual article.
- Sunderland Santa Claus Parade: December 12 at 7 p.m. | Sunderland Brock Memorial Arena, Brock. Read the individual article.
Choose a daytime or evening outing
Bowmanville, Uxbridge, Pickering, Orono, Cannington, Whitby and Courtice offer daytime starts. Newcastle, Oshawa, Beaverton, Ajax, Scugog and Sunderland offer evening options, while the rural THEE Farmers’ Parade of Lights begins at 5:30 p.m. A daytime outing may be simpler for families working around early bedtimes; an evening parade offers a different experience with illuminated floats.
November 21 and November 28 each have several parades. Choose your main destination before adding other stops rather than assuming you can move between communities quickly once closures begin.
Make the outing easier
- Check the full route, accessible viewing arrangements and nearby washrooms with the organizer.
- Bring warm layers and allow time to reach your viewing spot before the procession.
- Arrange a meeting point if your group separates. Keep children back from moving vehicles.
- If you plan to bring food-bank donations or letters to Santa, confirm collection arrangements for your chosen parade.
For more local detail, see our Oshawa parade report and Uxbridge holiday events coverage.
Sources and planning notes
Prepared November 3, 2026. Durham Tourism parade guide.
Illustration: original AllAboutDurham editorial artwork, not a photograph of a venue or event.
Updated November 3, 2026: Event listings now link to individual AllAboutDurham articles with organizer sources. Pickering’s parade route has been corrected to Whites Road using the City’s current notice. See The Durham Calendar for confirmed event-date listings.
