Inglewood Drive might just be the most festive road in Toronto. Following annual tradition, the residential street has officially transformed again into what is aptly referred to as “Kringlewood,” lining the road with massive inflatable Santas to ring in the festive season with ultimate Yuletide kitsch.
What started out as a joke after one neighbour put up a giant Santa on their lawn and others followed suit has become an annual tradition eight years strong. In past years there were over 50 Santas greeting passersby with friendly, inflatable waves, and similar numbers are expected this year!
The tradition was started by local resident Amy Westin in 2013. She told The Star at the time that she was considering a 6-foot tall inflatable Santa. “Then I saw this 14-foot, totally Griswolds, obnoxious-looking Santa,” she explained. “We were totally loving how over the top it was.”
Looking to see Saint Nick as far as the eye can see? Head to Inglewood Drive and Mount Pleasant Road in Moore Park and strap in for an almost one-kilometre walk or drive, from St. Clair down to Rosedale Heights, all illuminated by giant, glowing Santas on the lawns of local homes.
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It’s the perfect evening activity for those looking to inject a little holiday spirit into their season.
Maybe you’re looking to start a front lawn Santa Claus tradition in your own neighbourhood. Your dreams are within reach (for a few hundred dollars) – just head to Canadian Tire to secure your very own 14-foot, inflatable Claus.
You wouldn’t be the first — cities including Halifax and Sudbury have also started their own versions of Kringlewood, and the trend even travelled south of the border to Illinois and Utah.
Let’s hope the Grinches of years past are gone – a few of Inglewood’s inflatable Santas were slashed in 2019, and CTV News reported a slashed inflatable Santa in another Toronto neighbourhood in 2021. This year, people were caught on camera destroying Christmas inflatables in Scarborough.
Kringlewood has taken off over the past few years, so expect it to be busy depending on what time of day you go. Residents also ask that visitors be mindful of where they’re parking and take care not to block driveways — there are real people living beneath those giant Santas, after all!
