Parade Marshalls · Saturday, November 21, 2026
Walk the route. Keep the parade moving.
We need about 60 people to walk the route and keep the parade moving. It's about four hours on your feet, and it's the best seat in the city.
48 of 66 marshalling places are still open. Registration closes when they fill.
What a Parade Marshall does
You are the person who makes the difference between a parade and a line of vehicles in a row.
You walk a stretch of the route beside the entries. You keep the gaps even, so nobody in the crowd is looking at an empty road. You wave a float forward when it stalls, and you slow one down when it gets ahead. You tell people where the washrooms are, where the fireworks were launched from, and how much longer Santa will be.
You are also the person a spectator comes to when something goes wrong — a spilled coffee, someone who needs to get through the barricade. Marshals carry a radio and reach the whole route in seconds.
You are on your feet the entire time, on pavement, in the dark. Wear the boots you actually mean it in.
The commitment
| Detail | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Arrive | 4:30 p.m. at the marshalling area on Ste. Anne Road for a fifteen-minute briefing. |
| Duration | About four hours. Most marshals are away by 8:00 p.m. |
| What to wear | A warm coat, boots, a hat and gloves you can still point with. It is usually a few degrees below freezing at step-off, and you will be standing still some of the time. We provide the high-visibility vest. |
| Food and warmth | Hot chocolate and coffee at the marshalling area before and after. No break mid-shift, so eat first. |
| Training | One 45-minute briefing in parade week, online or in person, plus accessible customer service training we record for every volunteer. |
Who can do it
Age
Sixteen and up on your own. Fourteen and fifteen with a parent or guardian marshalling the same stretch. There is no upper limit and our longest-serving marshal is 74.
Physically
Standing and walking slowly for about four hours, outdoors, on pavement. No lifting, no running. If four hours on your feet is not possible, ask about the marshalling area and finish line roles, which are seated in parts.
Together
Groups are welcome and we will keep you on the same stretch. Put the group name on your form and we will match them up.
Other roles
Marshalling is most of what we need, but not all of it.
Marshalling area, 1:00 – 5:30 p.m.
Checking entries in, finding them their position, and answering the same six questions cheerfully for four hours.
Finish line, 5:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Directing entries into the disbursement lanes and keeping the pickup area clear. Partly seated.
Awards evening
A short evening shift after the parade — setup, door list, and handing out the trophies.
Step 1 of 4
Step 1 of 4: About you
Marshalled before?
Marshalled with us before? Email the volunteer coordinator from the address you used last year and we will match you to your record.