Photo: Suzanne Sausville (WBZ NewsRadio)
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Santa's reindeer had the day off when the big man made his entrance at the North End Athletic Association’s annual Christmas Parade on Sunday.
Instead, Jolly Ol' Saint Nick landed at Christopher Columbus Park by helicopter, appropriately painted red like his sleigh. After taking pictures with kids and adults, Santa hopped into a white Jeep convertible with a Christmas wreath on the front.
"Santa Claus is the star," said Ted Tomasone, who started the parade 51 years ago. "He comes in by helicopter from the North Pole and the children love him."
Santa wasn't the only special guest to appear. Darth Vader, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Elsa and Anna from Frozen, Barbie, Wally the Green Monster, Bruins mascot Blades, and other characters also brought smiles to people's faces.
Hundreds were in the parade that weaved through the streets of the North End, including high school marching bands from Woburn, Medford, and North Reading, the Aleppo Shriners, and a Bruce Springsteen impersonator.
WBZ's Suzanne Sausville (@WBZSausville) reports.
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