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Parade Magic

Educational Session

At The Original Santa Claus Parade we build and create things that are larger than life. We build over 25 floats, work with over 1200 costumes, a 1000 props, work with multiple marching bands, organizations, and have over 3000 volunteers that all come together for one day!

At the parade, we have had to figure out ways to make things larger than life, and be not just "actor proof" but for one day use, in all weather, for volunteers with no costume fitting. We will share some of our costumes and props and the techniques and tricks that are unique to our event.

After attending this presentation, attendees will be able to have a better understanding our tips and tricks for:

• Painting on fabric techniques; from being washable, malleable, and/or using different fabrics
• Working with foam to create structure in costumes.
• Dressing float pieces so they are in "costume"
• Some parade "magic" on how we get everything done for one day.
• Have some fun by trying on some of these costumes

Presenter: Samantha Spendiff (She/Her)

Samantha has worked for the Santa Claus Parade in the costume department for over 10 years. Designing, building, maintaining and organizing all of the prop and costume inventory, as well as organizing the team all of the volunteers that march in the parade in costume. Samantha also works as an occasional freelance seamstress and textile artist, and is a past graduate from the Ryerson Theatre School in Performance Production (now renamed Toronto Metropolitan University).