Santa Claus will not parade on the Vilaine this year. Organized since 2016 by the Rennes kayak club, the big Christmas nautical parade which was to be held this Saturday at the end of the day to kick off the illuminations will not take place. The Ille-et-Vilaine prefecture decided to ban this demonstration on the grounds that it “did not comply with the regulations of the transport code” and that “the methods presented did not guarantee public safety . »
In a document dated November 21, the city of Rennes had also issued an unfavorable statement concerning the holding of this nautical parade which brings together dozens of canoes, kayaks and oars each year.
Organizer of the event, Gaël Bleunven does not hide his bitterness. “The prefecture judged that Santa Claus and his cronies were hindering river navigation,” he quips, deploring in passing the lack of support from the town hall. The nautical parade falling into the water, it will be replaced by a techno-bike parade which will set off at 4:30 p.m. this Saturday from the Théâtre de la Paillette park for a planned arrival in the Baud plain.