Organizers of the annual Magic of Christmas Parade can thank their lucky stars, hidden behind a blanket of clouds, for ideal weather, especially considering the time of the year.
Past parades and surrounding festivities still drew huge crowds, despite conditions alternating from frigid to sopping wet in the past few years.
The temperature on Saturday was downright balmy considering it was an early evening parade on Dec. 6.
Entries travelled east along Fraser Highway, and crowds consisting mainly of families with children lined both sides of the street to welcome them.
The guests of honour, as usual, were Santa and Mrs. Claus, riding in the back of a horse-drawn carriage. They closed out the parade.
This year, the Country Christmas celebration that is held in conjunction with the parade changed locations, from the Douglas Recreation Centre to McBurney Plaza, which was sparkling with Christmas lights and decor for the occasion.
Once again, snow sculptors extraordinaire Bruce Waugh and David Dureault combined their talents to create a sculpture using snow from Langley Twin Rinks.
Using sharp tools, it took the two about five hours, a fair chunk of the work done in steady rain, to create a “Merry Christmas†piece that is a change of pace from its predecessors.
Waugh said they came up with the idea to make a more photo friendly sculpture that people could use as a prop for their friends and loved ones to pose around, so they could use it for potential Christmas card pictures.
This was the eighth year that the two had lent their talents to the Country Christmas celebration.