Uncertain weather all day Saturday didn
’t keep Morgan Hill residents from enjoying the annual Holiday
Lights parade which, starting at 5:30 p.m., brought music, dance,
floats and excitement to the city as it moved through the
downtown.
Uncertain weather all day Saturday didn’t keep Morgan Hill residents from enjoying the annual Holiday Lights parade which, starting at 5:30 p.m., brought music, dance, floats and excitement to the city as it moved through the downtown.
Just before the first of the 27 parade entries officially started off, the rain drizzled down, but the rain didn’t drive spectators away. An occasionally spitting sky was quite different from last year’s downpour that flooded streets and forced the cancellation of the parade for the first time in its 15-year history.
“I was so thankful for the weather,” said Barbara Kimmich, parade coordinator. “We had said rain or shine or snow, but we said that last year and then the floodgates opened.”
Kimmich said she is also thankful for all the help from the community in putting the event together.
“Of course I want to thank the Kiwanis and all of our volunteers,” she said. “There are some other people who really supported us as well. A San Martin couple who own D&M Trucking Services of San Jose provided all of our barricades and cones free of charge, and Jet Electric helped us with all of our electrical needs, made sure things were right, again this year. All of our white lights downtown this year were donated by Walmart. And we always appreciate our Live Oak High volunteers.”
Parade observers were enthusiastic in their cheers for the parade entries, particularly Santa Claus and his Magic Ship of Christmas at the end of the parade. The official city tree lighting, presided over by Mayor Dennis Kennedy, after the parade was greeted by cheers from children and adults alike.
“We had some really great entries this year, both returning and new,” Kimmich said. “We had our 350 Girl Scouts, which you could say was one of the cutest entries, and Lana’s Dance studio, which we especially appreciate because they were in the San Jose parade the next day. The San Martin Christmas Tree farm was a first-year entry, and their sleigh pulled by a tractor was a big hit.
