The parade starts at 10 a.m. Downtown is normally blessed with
lots of parking. Unfortunately, much of it will be unavailable
because 200 parade units will stage there.
The parade starts at 10 a.m. Downtown is normally blessed with lots of parking. Unfortunately, much of it will be unavailable because 200 parade units will stage there.
Don’t forget sun screen, water and a hat for everybody. The weather forecast is for hot and dry and temperatures may be as high as 100 degrees. Flags to wear or wave are optional.
Flag-adorned T-shirts and other items will be available for purchase at all events. Free IDI programs detailing each events and complete with historical pictures are available at the Chamber of Commerce, The Music Tree, BookSmart and The Morgan Hill Times, all downtown. They will also be found at each event.
No fireworks of any variety – even the safe and sane variety sold in Gilroy – are legal in Morgan Hill. Firefighters and police will be on the lookout for residents lighting their own fireworks.
FOR THE PARADE
The largest available place to leave cars is the Caltrain parking lot, reached from Butterfield Boulevard between Dunne and East Main avenues. This year, however, instead of climbing across the railroad tracks to get to Third Street and the parade route, pedestrians can cross with safety and ease at the newly installed at-grade crossing just south of the little train station on Depot Avenue. Wheeled vehicles – strollers, wheel chairs, little red wagons – can make their way through without trouble.
A chain-link barrier has been erected along the tracks so the at-grade crossing is the only way to get from one side to the other.
The parade route involves Monterey Road from Dunne to Main, then turns west on West Main Avenue, south at Peak Avenue to pass in front of the Library, City Hall and St. Catherine’s Church, then will turn east on West Dunne Avenue, finishing up on Monterey again to East Fifth Street. Those streets will be closed from 6 a.m. until after the parade finishes at 12:30 p.m. or later in the parade staging area around Depot.
Depot Street will be closed between East Main and East Dunne avenues.
First, Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth streets on both sides of Monterey Road between Dunne and Main will be closed until after the parade.
On the westside, Del Monte, Hale, Crest and Peak avenues will be closed at Main, except to residents who live in that area, but are available for parking north of Main. Alkire and Farallon will be closed at Peak Avenue and Barnell and Del Monte Avenue at West Dunne Avenue.
The Community Center parking lot will be used as a horse corral and for IDI volunteers’ cars. Few if any spots will be left for general parade watchers.
Motorists can park in the El Toro School parking lot and along East Main Avenue to Depot and, essentially, anywhere else. Be prepared to walk a bit.
The Festival in the Park and Fireworks show last from 11 a.m. until well after dark and have moved to Community Park, west of Monterey Road on West Edmundson. There is close-in parking on Edmundson that costs $10 – to defray the $120,000 event bill. However, each car will receive a “goodie bag” full of items and gift certificates worth far more than $10.
There is free parking along Edmundson but the Vineyard shopping center (Starbucks to Nob Hill) is not available for festival-goers.
The following roads near Community Park will be closed except to residents after 2:45 p.m.:
Olympic and Denali Drives between Edmundson and Cosmo Avenues; Cosmo Avenue between Del Monte Avenue and Denali Drive; Edes Court. There is no parking on the east curb of Denali Drive, the south curb of Cosmo Avenue between Del Monte Avenue/Denali Drive.
Acting Battalion Chief Thomas Tornell of the Santa Clara County Fire Department – at Morgan Hill’s El Toro Station – said their have been no firework-related incidents yet. He said he hopes nothing will happen but the department will lay on extra firefighting staff – two extra units – for the day, just to make sure.
“We will have a zero tolerance policy on people with fireworks,” he said. “We will respond to all credible reports that people see. There is way too much potential for problems and injuries.”
Details: www.mhidi.com
