Santa Claus is coming to town – or rather to your neighbourhood.

In these unprecedented times, organizers of the annual Santa Claus parade have come up with an alternative to the traditional parade down Main Street to avoid large gatherings.

For the first time, the Winterval Santa Claus Parade of Lights will pass through several neighbourhoods between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday.

Angela Drainville, a volunteer organizer, said in an interview this week that a normal year would see between 3,000 and 4,000 residents gather along Main and Front streets to catch a glimpse of Santa.

With the requirement to maintain physical distancing, it’s just not possible to hold a normal parade, even if the event is outside, she said.

Drainville said Anne Turner of Yukon Women in Mining began considering alternatives back in September and came up with a plan to have Santa travel through the city.

“So this way, folks are going to be able to see the parade right in their own neighbourhoods so they don’t have to come downtown,” she said.

Drainville said they normally have between 30 and 35 floats, and as of Wednesday, there were 32 signed up.

Santa and the floats will marshal at the snow dump along Robert Service Way, across from Yukon Energy.

The parade will first move through Riverdale at 5 p.m. along Nisutlin Drive, then onto the Alsek Road loop before heading downtown along Second Avenue and onto Main Street, where Santa will stop to light the tree at the end of Main, as he does every year. Lighting of the tree will be broadcast on Facebook Live.

The parade will make its way up Mountainview Drive to Range Road, past the mobile home parks and on to Whistle Bend.

There, the route will take them past Whistle Bend Place to provide an opportunity for residents to see Santa and the parade.

It will move through Porter Creek, back down Mountainview, back along Range Road then up Hamilton Boulevard.

It will pass through the McIntyre subdivision before heading through Arkell, Copper Ridge – being sure to pass by Copper Ridge Place – and Granger.

The specific route and estimated times of arrival can be found at the Facebook page Whitehorse Winterval Santa Parade.

Drainville said the parade will not be disrupting traffic, and will be following the rules of the road.

They will be assisted by Whitehorse bylaw officers, but for the most part, they’ve designed the route to avoid right-hand turns.

They decided not to travel along the Alaska Highway, so visits to the Crestview and Hillcrest subdivisions aren’t possible, though presumably Crestview residents would travel to Porter Creek to see Santa, she explained.

Drainville said several vehicles in the parade will be equipped with radios to help keep everything together.

Santa, as always, will anchor the parade, she said.

Parade organizers announced Thursday that Victoria Gold Corp. has signed on as a key partner and sponsor with a $10,000 donation to the event.

The money will benefit the Yukon Imagination Library’s volunteer efforts on behalf of family literacy throughout the territory.

“The parade will also allow Whitehorse residents of all ages to take in and enjoy the creatively decorated floats safely, while physically distanced, from their homes and neighbourhoods,” says the announcement.

“Victoria Gold is delighted to support this year’s parade and its efforts on behalf of the Yukon

Imagination Library,” said John McConnell, Victoria Gold’s president & CEO.

“Our entire team appreciates everyone who has come together to make this magical event happen this year, and we extend our very best wishes to Yukoners along the route and around the territory for a very happy and healthy holiday season.”