Truro’s much-loved reindeer procession, where mitten-clad children line the streets to see real reindeer guide Father Christmas through the centre in his traditional wooden sleigh, takes place on Wednesday, November 28.
Meet Father Christmas and his reindeer in Victoria Square from 6pm and then watch the procession around the city from 6.45pm.
This year the children travelling in the sleigh with Santa are those – or families of those – supported by Little Harbour, which is Children’s Hospice South West’s hospice in Cornwall.
There will be two ten-minute stops, one at High Cross and the other at Lemon Quay before the parade heads back to Victoria Square. This will create other wonderful opportunities for spectators to see the reindeer and meet Santa as well as making possible for other children connected to Little Harbour hospice to ride in the sleigh.
The event, which is sponsored by Mallet Home Hardware, is managed this year by Truro City Council and the Truro BID.
St John’s Ambulance will be there to provide first aid cover for the spectators and City Road Veterinary Centre will be on hand to ensure the reindeer are happy.
The route
The Reindeer Route is: Victoria Square, Kenwyn Street, Little Castle Street, River Street, St Nicholas Street, King Street, High Cross, then back down King Street, Boscawen Street, Princes Street, Green Street, Lemon Quay, Lower Lemon Street, St Nicholas Street and Boscawen Street, then returning to Victoria Square.
Entertainment
The Pirate FM Love Crew will be at Victoria Square building up the atmosphere. Camborne Youth Band will be leading the procession and students from Jason Thomas Performing Arts will also take part in the parade.
Christmas market
On the same night the first Truro Christmas Street Market of the season will be taking place under the new sparkling lights on Boscawen Street, along with late night shopping where most of the businesses throughout the city open until late.
Travel and parking
People coming to Truro will be able to use the both Truro Park and Ride sites for free from 4pm on the night and for the subsequent Wednesday night late shopping evenings until December 19.
Cornwall Council long stay car parks in Truro are already free to use from 4pm each afternoon and the short stay car parks from 5pm.
The reindeer
The reindeer taking part in the parade are from the Cairngorm Reindeer Herd - Britain’s only free-ranging herd, found in the Cairngorm mountains in Scotland. Reindeer have lived in the Cairngorms National Park since 1952, where the herd are permitted to graze on over 10,000 acres upon the mountainsides.
During November and December, tame and tractable adult male reindeer from the Cairngorm herd go out and about on tour, to increase public awareness of the herd and raise funds to help to maintain their lifestyle. Each individual reindeer will only do a couple of weeks work before returning back to their mountain home.
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