Kootenay Employment Services’ Santa Bucks received mixed reactions from business owners.

A local pub owner, who wanted to remain anonymous, says the pub was slower than usual for a Saturday night.

She says she hasn’t looked at how many Santa Bucks the pub got and attributes the slower night to the timing of the parade.

This was the first year the parade took place in the morning.

Lectric Avenue electronics manager Ian Richardson was thrilled with the turn-out his store saw.

Santa Bucks were used to promote spending money locally, they were handed out during the Winter Festival on Saturday.

Community members were then able to use the bucks to buy things in participating stores around Creston.