As residents finish off their left-over pumpkin pies and begin
the search for that redolent pine tree, their minds shift from
thoughts of Thanksgiving turkeys to the wonders of Santa.
As residents finish off their left-over pumpkin pies and begin the search for that redolent pine tree, their minds shift from thoughts of Thanksgiving turkeys to the wonders of Santa.
The Downtown Business Association will help with this mental transition on Saturday, when it welcomes the holiday season with the city’s third annual Holiday Parade and tree lighting.
DBA Chairman and Gilroy resident Albert Lambert is heading this year’s effort and said he can’t wait to see an expected 2,000 residents with visible breath swirling downtown between Fourth and Sixth streets.
Local musician James Murray and the Gilroy High School Choir will kick off the event with live performances starting at 4:30 p.m. on Fifth Street. The 25-float parade will commence an hour later one block north, and then local Elvis impersonator Donald Prieto will take the stage.
Throughout the merry-making, kids can enjoy complimentary cookie decorating at the Cannery Center thanks to the Young Chefs Academy.
Across the street at the Chamber of Commerce breezeway, Lambert said there will be face painting booths and, of course, the coveted red knees of Santa.
But don’t forget the motorcyle-riding Grinch and his elf, Lambert cautioned.
The menacing duo will grace the parade along with a music-playing Gilroy Gardens train float – “that should be exciting,” Lambert said. Area Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts will also march down Monterey street with help from dozens of volunteers who have helped Lambert recruit local businesses and nonprofit groups to participate.
“I go after all of them,” Lambert said, adding that he tried to recruit the Gilroy High School football team to be in the parade, but “they’ve been really busy because they’ve been doing so awesome.”
There will be plenty of people regardless, said Susan Jacobsen, president of the DBA. She said that the association has persuaded local businesses to stay open for the festivities, including newcomer Judy’s Cozy Coffee, a vegetarian cafe that opened about three months ago near the corner of Fifth and Monterey streets.
“We’ve got Sue’s Coffee on the corner (of Fifth and Monterey streets), but only so many people can fit in there, so now we have a few more options,” Jacobsen said of Judy’s and other businesses such as Happy Dog Pizza on Fifth Street.
Reigning over all the camaraderie as the master of ceremonies will be former Gilroy mayor and current Santa Clara County Supervisor Don Gage.
The real star, however, will likely be Santa Claus, Jacobsen said.
“What excites me the most about the parade are the kids’ faces, just to see how excited they are to see Santa and Mrs. Claus,” Jacobsen said.
Although Santa can expect an earful of requests for video games and dolls, Lambert, 40, said he was not going to ask for anything this year. (Jacobsen said she wanted Santa to make her 17- and 20-year-old children behave better, though.)
As a Pajaro Valley Unified School District employee and local real estate agent, Lambert said he just wants a successful parade.
“I don’t need anything. I got involved in this because there wasn’t anyone willing to take it on, and I wanted to see this happen for Gilroy,” Lambert said.
Before the DBA took on the holiday event, the Chamber of Commerce handled the tree lighting without a parade.
The parade area along Monterey Street will close to through traffic at 3 p.m. Saturday, Lambert said, and there will be no parking allowed beginning Friday.
Lambert and Jacobsen both said they still want parade participants and will accept applications throughout the week.
Lambert can be reached at (408) 781-3396 or
al************@gt*.net
.
