TORONTO — This weekend, area residents will be able to shop for some Christmas decorations and gifts and take a break from holiday preparations while taking in the sights and sounds of a local Christmas parade.

Focus in Toronto, the volunteer group behind the Toronto Art Festival, will hold the ninth-annual Toronto Christmas Art Festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Karaffa Recreation Center at 1307 Dennis Way and the city’s Christmas parade at 5:30 p.m. Sunday on North Fourth Street.

The commons area and gym of the recreation center again will be filled with a variety of vendors selling unique home-made items, including decorations for throughout the year and jellies and other treats that would make good gifts for those with a sweet tooth.

The group will be holding drawings for a variety of prizes each hour. Those who donate a nonperishable food or toy will receive a free entry into a drawing for each item they bring.

The food and toys will go to the Helping Hands Food Pantry, which provides food to local residents in need every month; and Crossroads North River Church’s Toys for Toronto campaign, which provides gifts to children of families in need at Christmas.

The Toronto High School Band Parents will be selling hot food from the center’s kitchen, and Santa Claus will be available to meet with children from noon to 2 p.m.

Santa also will appear with many others in the Focus in Toronto Christmas Parade on Sunday.

Each year local businesses and others accept an invitation from the group to enter festive floats, usually with many lights, in the procession.

It has included local marching bands, dance troupes and other musical groups.

The two events are just part of a busy month for Focus in Toronto, which will be holding a Christmas decorating contest for residents.

Those interested in participating should register through Focus in Toronto’s Facebook page by Tuesday and be sure their lights are on by 7 p.m. Dec. 11, when judging will occur.

Winners will be announced on Dec. 12.

The winner and his or her family will receive up to $100 for dinner at a local restaurant of their choice and a ride through town to view all of the Gem City.

Whether participating in the contest or not, many Toronto residents enjoy decorating their homes for the holidays while volunteers with the Toronto Beautification Committee ensure the city’s north and south entrances, Gazebo Commons and Liberty Square are shining for the holidays.

To help everyone enjoy their hard work and creativity, Focus in Toronto will again team with Hike Toronto, a volunteer group developing recreational trails in the city, to offer “sleigh” rides through the city between Dec. 17 and 22.

The sleighs are actually spacious truck-pulled wagons that will leave each night from Toronto High School’s Red Knight Stadium on North River Avenue and return 30 minutes later.

Dates for the tours are being filled quickly, so those who are interested should visit the Focus in Toronto or Hike Toronto Facebook pages in the near future.

It’s also been a busy year for Focus in Toronto, which held a Halloween costume parade and Ttrunk-or-treat on Oct. 27 at the stadium’s parking lot. The event drew hundreds of children and adults.