LOS GATOS — Dec. 3 was a Chamber of Commerce day and a sunny 57 degrees when the 60th Annual Los Gatos Children’s Christmas and Holidays Parade marched through downtown. Thousands of well-wishers lined the sidewalks as three motorcycle police officers led the parade down North Santa Cruz Avenue.
Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, dancers and bands, vintage vehicles and riders on horseback were among the 232 entrants that included thousands of participants in what is considered the largest holiday parade on the West Coast.
“I liked seeing the dogs,”
7-year-old Joshua said.
Dogs were everywhere, including dogs wearing Santa hats led by their “people” dressed in bad holiday sweaters.
Joshua’s cousin, 3-year-old Lucas, liked the Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad engine best of all. You could hear and see the old steam engine’s horn blowing and belching as it made its way down the street.
Moments later, the crowd’s eyes were riveted on the Jiffy Market pickup because everyone knew what was coming: Two BMX riders hurled themselves into the air, swooped down a specially made ramp and landed without a hitch as onlookers “oohed” and “aahed.”
“I love the parade because it’s so funky,” Los Gatos native Jubie Jaramillo said. “Every kid has a chance to be in this parade. I’ve been coming every year, except for two years when I lived in Mexico.”
Jaramillo walked alongside the 30-foot trolley car the History Club of Los Gatos sponsored.
Seven girls from the Team G Childhood Cancer Foundation rode the Keller Williams float. The foundation is one of the nonprofit groups the real estate firm supports through its KW Cares initiative. “Team G supports families who have a child diagnosed with cancer,” managing broker Mark von Kaenel said. “They provide the families with care packages and resources, and also support cancer research.”
Some parade participants took their float decorating responsibilities seriously: Shellie’s Day Care in Campbell brought a colorful Alice in Wonderland-themed truck, while El Camino Hospital’s giant balloon snowman towered above the roadway. The Santa Clara Aquamaids peeked out of a giant goldfish, and the Monte Sereno Youth Commission promoted conservation with funky signs like “Carpool” and “Fix leaks.”
“I’ve been in the parade five or six times,” Youth Commissioner Ashlee Kupor said. “It’s fun to be in it and have all my friends watching.”
Lisa Lam was watching for her niece, who was marching with Oak Grove High School’s ROTC. “I was in the corps and marched in the parade 10 years ago,” Lam said. “My niece grew up watching the parade, and now she’s in the corps and it’s her turn.”
One of the most popular annual parade entries is the Cucuzza Squash Drill Team representing the Italian Squash Growers’ Society. Member Steve Lafond had post-parade plans for his 4½-foot-long zucchini. “They’re grown on trellises, so they grow straight down,” he said. “They’re edible and make great stuffed zucchini on a grand scale.”
The Los Gatos Lions Club, LGS Recreation and the Town of Los Gatos sponsor the annual parade.
