Photo: W Gabbey
By Brandie Majeau
This year marks the first Thorhild County Christmas Convoy, which will be held alongside the
Thorhild Agricultural Society’s Christmas Light Up on November 28, 2026.
The concept for the Christmas convoy has been a year in development. Inspired by several local
truckers and trucking companies “dressing up their rigs” in festive gear and participating in
Christmas events in Leduc, the idea for Thorhild’s own convoy began with Will Gabbey and his
sister Christina as they returned home in Will’s semi from last year’s Leduc truck convoy. That
evening, the season’s first freezing rain slowed their journey to a crawl. During the drive back to
Thorhild County, the conversation turned to “why aren’t we doing this at home?” and so, the idea
took root. Discussions about collaborating with the Thorhild Agricultural Society during its
annual Light Up celebrations, along with conversations with North Parkland Power about using
its yard as the staging area, helped bring the event together.
The Thorhild County Christmas Convoy aspires to serve as a platform for supporting local
charities and organizations within Thorhild County. Each entry will be charged a $100
registration fee, with all proceeds dedicated to the community. Registrants are encouraged to
specify which local initiatives they would like their fees to support. For example, a business may
choose to direct its entry fee to the Thorhild Christmas Hamper Program or to the Thorhild
Agricultural Society’s building maintenance or programming. All proceeds will remain within
Thorhild County to benefit the community.
Staging will begin at North Parkland Power at 4 p.m., with the convoy proceeding to the
Thorhild Arena at approximately 5:45 p.m. Organizers would like to remind everyone that this is
not a traditional parade format, so there is no need to stand outside in the cold to watch the
procession. All activities will be coordinated with the Thorhild Christmas Light Up. Take the
opportunity to admire the trucks, cast your vote for best-dressed, and enjoy everything else that
has made the Thorhild Light Up such a popular event, such as hot chocolate, s’mores and skating.
As Christina described the convoy, this is a wonderful way to “add a bit of sparkle” and
showcase the trucks, as well as Thorhild’s rich trucking heritage, presence and sense of
community.
Businesses are also invited to be sponsors and will be featured on posters and in social media
posts. The sponsorship deadline is November 16, 2026. For more information or to pre-register,
please contact the Thorhild County Christmas Convoy at cgabbey@gmail.com or find additional
details and registration forms on the Thorhild County Christmas Convoy Facebook page. Don’t
have a truck? Farm equipment is also welcome. If your combine isn’t stored away yet, light it up
and bring it to town!