It’s not expected Santa will be dashing through the snow this weekend, but he will be laughing all the way down Victoria Street tomorrow.

The man in red will be around to take part in the 28th annual Kamloops Central Business Improvement Association’s (KCBIA) Santa Claus Parade, which is celebrating B.C.’s 150th this year.

And, since he’ll be bunking at Kamloops Square, KCBIA general manager Gay Pooler is inviting all the good little boys and girls in town to come and help wake Santa up at 10:30 a.m. at the Seymour Street shopping plaza.

From there, Santa will follow a caravan of 74 floats down Second Avenue on to Victoria Street and down to Sixth Avenue while they are enjoyed by the public and judged in four categories, including parade star, elves awards, novelty awards and Santa awards.

One such float will be last year’s Santa award winner Cooper’s Foods.

The four local Cooper’s locations have teamed up for more than 12 years to celebrate the season with the rest of the city.

And Brock store manager Ernie Cordonier has been onboard since the beginning.

“We are part of the community, we always have been, and this is one of those things we can do to give back,” he said.

Each year, staff from each store, along with their families and friends, volunteer to make a little Christmas magic — and the gathering is just as much a sign of the coming season as is the float.

“It’s a celebration in itself,” Cordonier said about building the float, which would not be possible without the help of VIP Trucking and the City of Kamloops.

“We share food together and laughs and some creative enthusiasm.”

A long-time participant, Pooler said Cooper’s is one of a number of local organizations and businesses that helped save the Santa Claus parade three years ago when it was almost cancelled due to construction at Thompson Park Mall, a major parade sponsor in the past.

“We’re the umbrella organization, but we can’t do it without all these other people,” Pooler said.

“They [Cooper’s] have been a great supporter along the way and they’ve always got great floats.”

Still, it’s not about the recognition for Cooper’s and its staff.

“We have been successful with having really wonderful floats,” Cordonier said.

“And we hope that this year is no different — that it just brings a lot of smiles and happiness.”

The weather is expected to be mild tomorrow, so Pooler advises the public to dress warm and bring blankets.

Parking will also be an issue, with most streets, including Victoria, Battle, Nicola and Seymour streets and Second Avenue, experiencing closures in the downtown core during the morning.

As a result, Pooler encourages people to use public transportation if they plan on attending the parade.

For those who don’t, she recommends parking at Riverside Park.

For more information, visit christmastown.ca.