A few moments during the 71st Santa Claus Parade in downtown Montreal, star fairy Farah Alibay, aerospace engineer, prepares to warm the hearts of young and old.
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“I can’t wait to meet the people and receive all this beautiful energy,” she says. “I can’t wait to see the wonder in the children’s eyes.”
The parade begins at around eleven o’clock on the esplanade of Place Ville-Marie and follows Boulevard René-Lévesque, up Boulevard Robert-Bourassa and further along Rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest to Place Arts.
A true tradition, this grand annual celebration is again punctuated with music, dancing and various acrobatics to mark the start of the holiday season in Montreal.
“The parade of floats will be a little different this year,” explains Ms. Alibay. “There are loads of options and there is something to see everywhere, so it will be quite an adventure.”
Ms Alibay believes the Star Fairy’s role is to “make people dream” as she arrives at the parade just before Santa Claus.
“It fits well with what I would like to convey to young people, this idea of dreaming big,” she explains. “I am a somewhat atypical star fairy; Child of immigrants, raised in Joliette and now working in the stars. I want to show young people that whoever you are, you can make it to these great places.”
Watch the full interview with Farah Alibay…