Browse archives: 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996 | 1995

Published on 12/01/1997 All articles from this issue

Parade a labor of love

printer friendly version

By Linda Taaffe

Town Crier Staff Writer

Promenade of lighted characters the result of community involvement

Approximately 20,000 onlookers clapped and cheered as the 20th annual Festival of Lights Parade, which included six marching bands, 125 costumed characters and about 75 floats and other entrants, made its way down State Street and up Main Street Sunday.

Since local merchants Marion Jackston and Hope Higbee first began the parade in 1977, the Los Altos event has become a holiday tradition for tens of thousands of Bay Area residents.

It takes about $20,000, 200 volunteers and hundreds of hours of preparation to put on the "little parade for one and half hours," said Marie Backs, parade board president. As in previous years, Sunday's parade day began early and ended late.

10 a.m.

About six volunteers are gathered at the municipal yard where approximately 25 parade floats are stored year-round. They take turns studying satellite weather pictures taken from the Internet and try to determine if the rain will clear or if the parade will have to be canceled.

Because transporting the floats downtown takes three hours, the volunteers must be on the road by 1 p.m. in order to have the floats ready for the parade at 7 p.m.

"It looks like the storm is heading south," said 8-year volunteer Ed Bridgeman after examining the pictures spread across the table in front of him. In the meantime, the rain continues to pour.

Usually by this time, about 20 volunteers would be arranging the floats in a caravan toward downtown, but this morning, the six donated John Deere tractors and three flatbed trailers remain still and most of the volunteers return home.

11 a.m.

Across town in a lunch room above Great Western Bank on Main Street, the scene is much the same as at the municipal yard. Three volunteers arrange a table of food for an expected 100 hungry parade-helpers while they wait to hear if the parade is on or off.

Typically volunteers start pouring in to grab some food and keep their energy going at this time, but not today, said volunteer Ginger Summit.

The parade has been postponed twice before, but it has never been canceled, she said.

"No one wants to put it off," Summit said. "It's too hard to build up this momentum again."

1 p.m.

The wait is over. The weather forecast looks clear and it appears the parade is going to go on as scheduled. The volunteers return to the municipal yard to start transporting the floats downtown.

"It's been a lot of hurrying up to wait," said volunteer Denise Lees. "Things are happening now."

Just as the volunteers hook up the tractors to their assigned floats, and load the trailers with the hand-pushed floats, they discover Santa's float can only turn right. This means they will be unable to steer the float downtown unless some emergency repairs are done. The towing tongue on the tractor needs to be moved. Longtime volunteer Bob Grimm brings the tractor to his house to mount a new tongue on the back of it.

"We don't find out about these kinds of things until the last minute," Bridgeman said.

The caravan is delayed.

3:30 p.m.

Santa's float is fixed and the caravan heads downtown, preceded by a police escort going 4 mph.

Though the volunteers practiced maneuvering their tractors the day before, there's no guarantee the transport will be easy. In previous years, floats have stalled, been decapitated by low hanging tree branches and one even got stuck on the concrete island dividing El Monte Avenue.

Today, the move goes along without a hitch.

Neighbors come out of their houses to wave and traffic stops to watch the pre-parade caravan.

"It's is a good way to see the parade. People go out on their lawns and watch the parade again (on the return trip)," said float-mover Charlie Krackeler.

4 p.m.

Blankets, lounge chairs, tarps and stools began to litter the sidewalks as avid parade-goers secure a location along the parade route. Los Altos resident Wynn Grimes and her daughter-in-law take turns between saving their spot along State Street and window-shopping.

"We're having a wonderful time. It's important that the children see us," said Grimes about her grandchildren who will be on the First Baptist Church float in the parade.

Down the street, 10-year-old Christine Do and her six-year-old cousin Kevin Tran eat ice-cream while bundled in sweaters and jackets. This is the second time the two have traveled from San Jose to watch "the neat lights."

5 p.m.

The scene is chaotic at the former site of Glady's Hallmark on Main Street as about 125 parade participants, from preschoolers to grandparents, gather to put on their costumes. The room quickly fills up with reindeer, dragons, clowns and soldiers.

About four volunteers assemble hundreds of battery packs used to run the lights on each costume, while an additional 30 volunteers sit at makeup stations.

Los Altos resident Mike Balster stands still in his toy soldier costume as two costume-fitters adjust and replace the lights on him.

Balster said he has been in the parade five times previously as a clown. He admits the battery pack is heavy and wearing the costume for four hours gets hot and uncomfortable.

Bridgeman, who has now been transformed into a clown, said working on the parade is "a labor of Love."

The characters wait in the holding area in front of Safeway for the parade to begin. Ham operators get everyone in position.

7 p.m.

The bands, characters and floats make their way out of the holding area in front of Safeway and wind their way down the parade route.

Onlooker Laurie Lacek said watching the parade is "a tradition. The kids love it."

Youngster Jay Villafana said, "It's a blast. I love this time of year."