"Hespeler Road is so … I don't want to use that word, I'll go with impersonal." Coun. Frank Monteiro said that at a planning and development committee meeting, as the Cambridge Times reported. Several colleagues agreed with him, and some used his word for the city's Santa Claus Parade route themselves.
This November the route changes. The Cambridge Santa Claus Parade starts at 6 p.m. sharp on Saturday, November 14, 2026. It runs along King Street East in Preston, beginning at Chestnut Street and ending at Eagle Street, according to the City of Cambridge parade page. The parade has been on Hespeler Road for more than two decades. The reasons it left the downtown cores were never about how it looked. The reasons it's coming back have a lot to do with who now runs it.
The Case for Hespeler Road Was About Trucks and Wires
The parade moved to Hespeler Road in 2003. Before that, it alternated between the Galt and Preston core areas. Chris Ziemski chaired the parade when it moved. He told the Cambridge Times that the decision came from logistics, mostly the safety of the people watching. His list was specific:
- Narrow roads in the core areas
- Space for transport trucks to turn
- The problems that come with starting and finishing in different places
- Hydro poles close to the street in Preston
- Restrictions around bridge closures in Galt
Every item on that list is a problem of moving floats, not of watching them. A float is built on a flatbed, and a flatbed needs room to swing into position and room to leave. A four-lane commercial road handles that easily. A heritage main street lined with utility poles makes it harder.
When councillors raised the idea of going back, the parade chair at the time, Dave Howell, said organizers were "certainly willing to look at rotating the parade." He added that "there is a lot to consider ... assembly area, parking, and overhead wires to name a few." Councillors pointed to what the cores had that Hespeler Road didn't. Coun. Mike Devine said rotating between Galt and Preston would be "a little more quaint." Coun. Nicholas Ermeta compared the architecture of the Galt core with Hespeler Road's neon retail lights and four lanes. Coun. Mike Mann praised parades where "you're close enough to people that if they wanted to say something to you, they could."
Both sides had a point. Hespeler Road was easier for the parade, and the cores were better for the crowd. For years the route stayed where the logistics were easiest.
The Organizer Changed Before the Route Did
What shifted was who makes the decision. In November 2025, CambridgeToday published the City's Winterfest release. It said 2025 was the first year the City hosted the Santa Claus Parade, taking over from the Cambridge Santa Claus Parade Committee, which had run it from 1972 to 2024.
Here is how the route has changed over time:
- Before 2003: The parade alternated between the Galt and Preston cores, under the volunteer committee.
- 2003: The parade moves to Hespeler Road for safety and logistics.
- 2024: The committee's last year. The 6 p.m. parade runs on Hespeler Road from Dunbar Road to Langs Drive, and CambridgeToday's photo gallery from that night reports thousands lining the road.
- 2025: The City's first year. The route stays the same, Hespeler Road from Dunbar Road to Langs Drive, at 6 p.m. on November 15, with floats decorated with lights. Kieswetter Mazda presents.
- 2026: The City's second year. The parade moves to King Street East in Preston, from Chestnut Street to Eagle Street.
The City kept the old route for its first year as organizer. In its second year it moved the parade back to a core. No public staff report explains how the City is handling the old concerns about staging and overhead wires. The City's announcement focuses on spectators.
What the City Is Betting On
The City's October 7 release gives a short reason for the move:
"The new route will bring spectators both young and young-at-heart closer to the action, making it easier for everyone to see the floats, and hear the bands before the arrival of Santa himself."
That is Coun. Mann's point about closeness, now City policy. A narrower street means the crowd stands closer to the floats, the same feature that once made the cores harder to stage.
The local business association welcomed the change. Tony Schmidt, chair of the Discover Preston Towne Centre Business Improvement Area, said in a release: "We're thrilled to have the Santa Claus parade returning to King Street and the heart of Preston. Our downtown is a natural gathering place for our community, and we look forward to seeing King Street filled with families, friends and neighbours." He also called it "a great opportunity for people to discover our local shops, restaurants and businesses."
Here is how the two years compare:
| 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, November 15 | Saturday, November 14 |
| Start time | 6 p.m. | 6 p.m. sharp |
| Street | Hespeler Road | King Street East, Preston |
| Start point | Dunbar Road | Chestnut Street |
| End point | Langs Drive | Eagle Street |
| Format | Night parade, floats decorated with lights | Night parade, illuminated floats |
| Organizer | City of Cambridge, first year | City of Cambridge, second year |
The format stays the same and the setting changes. The parade is still at night with lit floats and the same start time. What's different is the street: Preston's commercial main street replaces a four-lane arterial road.
Getting There on November 14
A tighter route also changes how you get there. The City asks people to walk or take transit if they can, and points to Grand River Transit for routes and schedules. The City lists four parking areas:
- Allan Reuter Centre
- Riverside Park
- Queenston Road lot
- Karl Homuth Arena
The City's parade page doesn't publish street closure times for the new route. It does say the parade starts at 6 p.m. sharp. It also notes that evening events use lighting that may bother people who are sensitive to light.
The Preston branch of the Cambridge Public Library, which also houses Cambridge Art Galleries, is on King Street East at number 435. One City document is out of date. The 2026 Special Events Schedule still lists Hespeler Road for November 14. The October 7 release and the current parade page both say King Street East in Preston, and they are the newer sources.
If you'd rather be in the parade than watch it, applications close Friday, October 16. Individuals, local businesses, organizations, and bands can apply through the City's parade page. The City is also looking for sponsors and volunteers. To ask about sponsorship, email [email protected] or call 519-623-1340, extension 4332.
Hespeler Keeps Its Own Parade, Three Weeks Later
The parade councillors pointed to when they called Hespeler Road impersonal was the Hespeler parade. Monteiro rode in the Hespeler Santa Claus Parade and called it "probably one of the best parades that we have, with the exception of Canada Day parade in Preston," adding, "It's much more personal."
That parade keeps its own date and format. The Hespeler Santa Claus Parade runs Saturday, December 5, at 12 p.m. It starts at Groh Avenue and follows Queen Street West to Guelph Avenue and Sheffield Street. Along the route, Canada Post collects letters to Santa and the Cambridge Food Bank accepts donations. Afterward, kids can meet Santa at the Scout House in Forbes Park and get a goodie bag.
So Cambridge now has two Santa parades on two village main streets, three weeks apart. Preston's is at night with illuminated floats. Hespeler's is at midday with a visit to Santa afterward in Forbes Park. For the first time since 2003, neither one runs on Hespeler Road.
If the parade's move has you thinking about Preston's heritage main street and the homes on the streets around it, Kevin, Alicia & Associates can give you a clear, local read on what your property is worth in this part of Cambridge. Book a property valuation, and we'll explain what sets your street apart.
