(Update: More photos of me as a clown posted here.)So one of the first things that I'm told by the more experienced Greeter Clowns just before the 2008 Toronto Santa Claus Parade is: "Don't let the kids take your gloves!"
We're all waiting at The Bickford Centre near Bloor and Christie, costumed up and waiting for the parade to begin. Here's the map we were each given when we first got accepted as participants in the parade:
I had shown up, as instructed, and queued up with other participants for the doors to open at 10 am. No one's allowed into the building without the pink slip confirming that they're parade participants.
Upon arriving, we're directed to various rooms, depending on the section number listed on our slips. I'm in section 14, which I found out from a parade veteran meant that my group was associated with the 14th parade float, which was about halfway through.
When it's my turn, I am handed a hanger with my costume. Attached to the hanger is a (1) clown outfit, (2) clown hat, (3) pair of white gloves, and (4) a photocopy of my pink slip. I take the costume to the far corner of the gymnasium and put it on.
All around me, people are laughing and joking around as they try on their costumes for the first time, helping each other with pins and ties and ribbons.
Next, I go to the makeup area. I'm directed to a girl who looks a bit nervous. I jokingly ask if she's ever done makeup before, and she says that she did a little for last year's parade. She draws a coloured circle on each of my cheeks, different colours to match the polka dots on my outfit.
I ask someone to take a photo of me with my iPhone, so I can e-mail it to Jeff to make it easier for him to pick me out from the other clowns. The photo below was taken by a friendly bird-costumed girl named Elaine before I went to make-up:
I discover (from a young boy who was dressed as a mouse) that the back of my costume was hanging open. Fortunately I had brought a mini-clip with me, and with the boy's help (the boy and his other mouse-dressed friend), they got the clip in place for me since I couldn't easily reach.
Then I go to my section area to wait. As I wait, I start chatting with some of the other people in my section and find out that many of them had been in the parade before. An experienced Greeter Clown tells me she loves being in the parade. She warns me, though, that some kids are going to try grabbing and keeping my gloves, so I should make sure to hold onto them.
The photo above is of Michael, Jessica and Ashley. Michael and Jessica have been in the parade 12 times before, Ashley's been 14 times. Ashley says that she's hoping to be a Greeter Clown sometime.
I also chat with a Diva Goldfish:
She tells me she's been a Greeter Clown before but it's not her favourite costume; apparently some kids can be pretty aggressive. I start to get nervous. "Don't let them grab your gloves," she warns me. "And beware of the lungers."
Our section Parade Marshall shows up and takes us outside. Yay! We were all starting to stifle inside our costumes.
I chat with the savvy 13-year-old in the photo above. She and her brother have been in the parade several times before. She was supposed to be a penguin, but unfortunately her costume didn't fit.
Despite her original plans to be a penguin, I thought she made a fantastic Greeter Clown - she had a ton of fun with the crowds, and the kids loved her.
On the street, the atmosphere is one of excitement and anticipation. The front of the parade has started moving, but it will be a while before our section is able to march.
We hope that we get a good band marching near us. One parade veteran tells me that she once had to march behind a band who only knew one song, and they played the song over and over again during the entire route.
Another experienced Greeter Clown encourages me to joke around with the police officers along the route, that the police are usually good about that during the parade.
"I brought a big plastic hammer and hit the cops over their heads with it one year," he says, then pauses. He adds somewhat sheepishly, "That was also the year I found out that removing a policeman's cap is a federal offense."
Like many others, he warns me not to let the kids grab my gloves.
As we wait, I spot the goldfish costumes (see above) -- as cool-looking as they are, I'm pretty happy that I got reassigned to be a Greeter Clown instead.
Once the parade started, I put away my camera. My costume was roomy enough that I was able to easily wear a fanny pack inside it.
The photos of me in today's Blathering were all taken by Jeff, who was waiting near Bloor and Spadina with Walter, Alison and JeffL and their kids. Alison, by the way, was the one who gave me her parade form from last year and thus enabled me to participate this year:
Jeff had told me beforehand via iPhone text message where they were going to be, so I made sure to be walking on that side of the road. I heard them calling my name as I got nearer, and they had also written "HI DEBBIE" in chalk across the road. :-D
My friends Peter and Leslie were also watching the parade, but I found out later that they were too far back to catch my attention.
And what was it like being a Greeter Clown in the parade? WONDERFUL. The time whizzed by in no time flat. It was fun to be able to do whatever I wanted to: dancing, joking around with the other clowns (I chased one through the line of marching goldfish after he bopped me on my head with his plastic hammer), high-fiving and chatting with the kids and adults in the crowds.
Yes, some of the kids tried grabbing my gloves -- but I was prepared and didn't let them. Most of the kids were great, and I loved (LOVED) the expressions of delight and wonder that crossed the faces of the youngest tots as I crouched down and gently gave them mini high-fives. One even pushed her way out from the crowd to give me a big hug.
I posed for pics, joked around with the parents, and hugged policemen. 23 policemen, to be exact (I was counting). Most of them laughed and hugged me back. As for the two who didn't, well...at least they didn't arrest me. :-)
I found a stark contrast between the crowds at the beginning of the parade route and the crowds near the end. It was clear that many of the grown-ups near the end were tired, cold, and just wanted Santa to hurry up and show up already so they could go home.
I suspect that many of the marchers had also lost much of their enthusiasm by that point as well. If I was going to find a place to watch the parade, I'd opt for the first half of the route.
Anyway, when we got to St. Lawrence Market, there were costumes and props everywhere. Despite the seeming chaos, however, it was remarkably well-organized and I only spent about 10 minutes in line before I was able to return my costume. They provide wipes for removing makeup, and you could get pizza and bottled water. I opted not to try for pizza because the line was huge.
Thanks so much to Alison for giving me the chance to be in the Santa Claus Parade. I was also impressed by the efficiency behind-the-scenes, and found all the Santa Claus Parade organizers and volunteers super-friendly. One additional highlight that I hadn't expected: meeting the other parade marchers.
Without exception, every single one clearly LOVED the parade itself as much as being in the parade. And they were all young at heart, no matter what their physical age.
Begun in 1905 (when it had just one float), the Toronto Santa Claus Parade now has over 25 floats, 24 bands, and 1,700 participants. I'm grateful for being able to be a part of this year's parade. It was an amazing experience, and one that I'll never forget.
You can see more pics in
my Flickr set. Walter will also likely post some pics soon, too (his Flickr page is at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lordkorak/).
Tips On Being A Greeter Clown In The Toronto Santa Claus Parade
When I first received my confirmation, I immediately went online and looked for any information that might give me an idea of what to expect. To my surprise, there wasn't much available, or at least I couldn't find any blog entries on the topic.
So in case anyone is searching for this type of information, here is some advice for those participating in the Toronto Santa Claus Parade that I learned from veterans or from my own experience:
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Don't overdress. I wore a polyester long-sleeved top, fleece jacket and waterproof shell -- and was WAY too hot during the parade despite the cold conditions (it even snowed). Though keep in mind that I was also moving around a lot more than the regular marchers as I shook hands with kids in the crowd, did a lot of crouching in front of small children, etc.
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Be prepared for a costume switch. Three of the people in my section had had their costumes switched at the last minute because their original costumes didn't fit properly.
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If you can, bring your own makeup kit. The look of your face makeup will vary wildly, depending on the person who ends up working on you. My makeup was basically a spot on each cheek, while some clowns got the full treatment with a white foundation, clown lips, exaggerated eyebrows.
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Limit your liquid intake in the morning. There were only a few bathrooms in the building where we got costumed up, and these inevitably had huge lineups. I was surprised that the parade people hadn't rented Portapotties, especially considering the large number of young participants. Plus once the parade started, of course, there was no opportunity for restroom breaks.
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Pace yourself. You'll be hyped and full of energy at the beginning of the parade, but remember you'll be doing this for a few hours (I was walking for about 2.5 hours, but I've been told that the parade often takes longer). And you're supposed to be EXTRA enthusiastic for the tv camera area.
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If you're shaking hands or doing high-fives with kids in the crowd, hold onto your gloves! Some kids will try to grab your gloves and not let go -- either just to be bratty, or because they want to keep a piece of you. :-)
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Bring some safety pins, elastic bands, or mini-clips for costume finetuning since your costume is unlikely to fit perfectly. Yes, you could go back to the wardrobe dept but then you'd have to wait in a long line again.
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Have fun. How often do you get to act goofy in a public venue? Don't be self-conscious and just remember you're a clown. And heck, you're part of the Toronto Santa Claus Parade! How cool is THAT?!?
Tuesday, November 18, 2008 at 6:58AM 
Photo by Walter
Photo by Walter
Photo by Walter
Photo by Walter
Photo by Walter
Photo by Walter
