Yuletide festivities help kick off holiday season in Greater Victoria [Video]

Greater Victoria has a host of yuletide festivities this weekend for residents ready to kick off the holiday season.

“(I) just like to take in as much as I can,” says Marilyn Lister, while browsing downtown Victoria shops Friday. “It’s just a nice time of year to enjoy everything.”

Victoria’s Peninsula Co-Op Santa Clause Parade winds its way through downtown streets Nov. 30 beginning at 5 p.m.

The host, Greater Victoria Festival Society, says there are 85 entries this year, which is up from the average of 60-65 – making it the largest parade to date.

“It’s fantastic that there’s that kind of support. And it just makes it a really magical experince,” says GVFS volunteer Jim Sturgill.

He’s been working with a team on the Peninsula Co-Op float and figures they’ve invested about 400 hours creating it – and approximately 20 cans of spray paint.

“It’s a lot of …