Holiday Magic Parade Brings Floats, Free Parking and Cookies

Everyone loves a parade, and residents will have an opportunity to indulge during the  extravaganza taking over downtown Saturday morning.

But Holiday Magic isn't just a 10 a.m. parade – it's an all-day event that starts with an 8:30 a.m. Santa Scamper, a fun run for children to benefit Toys for Tots. Holiday Magic includes a post-parade opportunity to visit Santa at and a chance to decorate cookies with the pros at .

Best yet? Parking in downtown Royal Oak will be free until 2 p.m.

Visitors are encouraged to bring new, unwrapped toys, and members of the U.S.  Marine Corps will be there to collect them along the route for Toys for Tots.

Reward yourself for that good deed with a fresh-baked gingerbread cookie decorated however you see fit. Do you like six different kinds of sprinkles? No problem.

"They get to decorate their own gingerbread boy or girl, and we have all kinds of icing and sprinkles," said Hermann's manager Pam Stodola. "This is our second year and it was really good last year."

Loads of decorations and gingerbread boys and girls will be available for $1 during Hermann's hours, which run until 5 p.m. Saturday.

Santa Scamper participants will deserve that snack after participating in the early morning fun run, which is a chance to work off calories for a good cause.  Participants are invited to line up at Washington and Lincoln, walk or jog to Fourth Street and loop back to the starting line. The route is a half-mile long.

"Anyone can join, but it's primarily for kids," said Paul Perkins, vice chairman of the Oak Apple Inc., which is sponsoring the fun run.  

The cost to join Santa Scamper is $10 and proceeds go to Toys for Tots. Register online at www.santascamper.org.

No one is too young – or too old – to scamper. "Last year, we had people from 3 years old to 70 years old," Perkins said "All are welcome."

Finishing the course is its own reward, but everyone who joins will also get a free Santa hat and hot chocolate after the race.

Of course, the jewel at the center of the day is the , a 75-unit parade with three major floats from The Parade Company, including a circus train with a load of crazy clowns on board, a massive bookworm and Mother Nature float.

Students at Ealain Ceimi School of Irish Dance in Rochester will dance the route, too.

"We're going to bring a group of students, some of them will march, the rest will do different types of dancing at the stops at Fourth and Sixth (streets)," said Darius Mikulski, co-owner of the school.

"We can't wait," said Alexis Cage of Hazel Park, who plans to bring her daughter Terriona Cage. "She loves parades."

Jolly Old St. Nick will be the final sight of the parade, but don't worry if he seems to pass by too quickly.

Following the parade, everyone is invited to visit with Santa one-on-one until 1 p.m. at Stagecrafters Baldwin Theatre.

"We'll have it set up with kids' activities, snacks, they can write letters to Santa," said Lauren Baker of Quill Communications, which is marketing the event. "It's going to be a great day."