Image: Supplied by Rotary Christmas Parade on Facebook / The Rotary Christmas Parade kicks off Saturday (Dec. 3) at 5:30 p.m. and departs from Chilliwack Secondary School and heads down Yale Road, onto Wellington and College Street, before finishing up on Reece Avenue.
Christmas events in Chilliwack

Rotary Christmas Parade highlights busy Chilliwack weekend

Dec 2, 2022 | 9:27 AM

CHILLIWACK — Not only is it beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Chilliwack thanks to the first snowfall of the season, this weekend promises a flurry of Christmas events for families and shoppers alike.

The Rotary Christmas Parade is perhaps the pinnacle event of the weekend, featuring homegrown floats and local businesses participating in what should be a welcome sight for residents and spectators.

The forecast is calling for sub-zero temperatures and colder wind chills in the minus sub-teens, but for those willing to brave the elements, the Rotary Christmas Parade gets underway at 5:30 p.m.

Image: Supplied by Rotary Christmas Parade via Facebook.

The parade route begins at Chilliwack Secondary School, heads southwest on Yale Road towards downtown, veers onto Wellington in the downtown core, and bends around the corner onto College Street near the Cyrus Centre, before wrapping up on Reece Avenue and back at Chilliwack Secondary.

Image: Screenshot, chilliwackchristmasparade.ca / The parade route is shown.

While spectators enjoy the parade floats, they’re asked to help parade organizers meet their goal of collecting 1,000 cans or non-perishable items for the Chilliwack Food Bank. There will be Salvation Army barrels along the parade route, and people are asked to kindly use the barrels rather than handing their food donations to Mayor Ken Popove or Chilliwack City Council members.

For those who prefer the comfort of their home, the parade will be livestreamed online via Chill TV.

Other events happening this weekend:

* The Ryder Lake Farmers Institute will hold a Christmas craft fair on Saturday, December 3 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Ryder Lake Hall, 49265 Elk View Road. The event showcases Ryder Lake vendors, including Christmas decor, pottery, wood crafts, baked goods, soaps and handcrafted items. The kitchen will be open with soup, hot dogs and muffins.

* A similar Christmas craft fair will be held at the Oddfellows Hall, 46008 Reece Avenue, on Saturday, Dec. 3. There will be a host of vendors, a 50/50 draw, food and beverage for sale.

* Benanna Bakery at 8985 Young Road will have an oliebollen festival from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There are prizes, draws, and of course delicious oliebollen, a Dutch beignet.

* The City of Chilliwack is holding a free Shred-a-Thon and food drive event this Saturday, December 3 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Chilliwack Coliseum parking lot (45323 Hodgins Avenue) just off Ashwell Road. The free event enables Chilliwack residents to bring residential shredding materials only with a maximum 10 boxes per household (banker box size). Attendees are asked to kindly remove all plastic binding covers/combs, metal hanging folders or other metal objects, excluding staples and paper clips, before dropping off materials or they may be asked to remove them on site. Please bring donations for the Salvation Army Food Bank, either cash donations or non-perishable food items. Residents can donate directly to the Salvation Army so they can continue running this valuable community program. Donations are not required to participate in the Shred-a-Thon.

Image: City of Chilliwack supplied / There will be a free shred-a-thon and food drive event this Saturday, Dec. 3 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Chilliwack Coliseum parking lot.

* Chilliwack Songs of Praise will present a free Christmas Orchestra Sing-a-Long event on Sunday, December 4 at 6 p.m. at Cooke’s Presbyterian Church, located at 45825 Wellington Avenue in Chilliwack. Jim Banman is the orchestra conductor for the event. Admission is free. A free will donation will be accepted to help defray any costs associated with the concert. The Chilliwack Songs of Praise Orchestra is a non-denominational, not-for-profit group of enthusiastic musicians including full woodwind and string sections.

Image: Supplied by CSOPO / Chilliwack Songs of Praise Orchestra will present a free Christmas concert on Sunday, Dec. 4 at 6 p.m. at Cooke’s Presbyterian Church on Wellington Avenue.

* On Saturday, December 3, 10, and 17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., firefighters, police officers and Search and Rescue volunteers will be teaming up with the Salvation Army to raise food and funds for the local food bank. First responders will be stationed outside each of the four Chilliwack Save-On-Foods locations as well as Safeway to accept non-perishable food and monetary donations.

Image: Supplied by B.C. RCMP / Chilliwack first responders will be collecting food donations this Saturday, Dec. 3 for the Salvation Army at the four Save-on-Foods locations in Chilliwack, as well as Safeway in Sardis, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.