Thousands line streets to watch dozens of entrants parade through downtown
Published in the December 24, 2014 – January 6, 2014 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Marty Cheek
Colby Nigh, a 7-year-old Morgan Hill resident who is in the second grade at Crossroads Christian School, rides in the parade. Photo by Marty Cheek
A kaleidoscope of Christmas swirled around downtown Morgan Hill as families and friends gathered along the sidewalks the night of Saturday Dec. 6 for the Holiday of Lights Parade.
Along Depot Street as the sun set and darkness settled over the South Valley, parade participants prepared including high school marching band members, girls from Lana’s Dance Studio in bright red costumes and home-built floats.
Erin Cockrell, co-owner of the RE/MAX real estate franchise in Morgan Hill, was putting the final touches on a “playhouse” placed on the bed of a truck. His sons Evan and Logan excitedly paced in and out of the playhouse in anticipation of the holiday parade.
“We wanted to be a part of the community and let the kids have fun and have a presence in the parade,” Cockrell said.
Evan said he couldn’t wait for the parade to start.
Members of Lana’s Dance Studio troop perform in the parade to “Jingle Bell Rock.”
Photo by Marty Cheek
“I think it’s going to be really fun because you can say hi to people and ride in a truck,” he said. “I love Morgan Hill and am excited to be a part of it.”
RE/MAX agent Marian Tankersley, also helping with the prep work on the float, had spent the day with her husband Rich gathering gifts for children of local families in need. She said the parade celebrated the reason for the holiday season with a fun, small-town get-together.
“The spirit of Morgan Hill is about giving – definitely giving,” she said. “We collected a whole bunch of toys for kids today and we’re going to give them to Cecelia’s Closet.”
In front of The Granary, Music in Motion director Michelle Moyer was organizing children who had spent many hours preparing to sing Jingle Bells, Deck the Halls and The Hanukkah Song for the parade and the Christmas concert at the Downtown Amphitheater following the tree-lighting ceremony.
Photo by Marty Cheek
Santa Claus takes the Christmas wish from a little girl during this year’s holiday parade.
“The kids are really excited to be in the parade for the first time,” she said. “We’ve done the tree lighting in past years, which we’re going to do again, but we’ve never actually been in the parade. Music really brings a community together. ”
On First Street, a group of Live Oak High School students prepared for the parade. Hanh Phan, a junior at Live Oak who founded the high school’s Key Club, a community service organization sponsored by the Morgan Hill Kiwanis, said the parade reflects the spirit of the holidays in the community.
“I know going to Live Oak, the atmosphere is really friendly and everyone there is really friendly. So I think the parade reflects that atmosphere,” she said. “Like at my school, it’s kind of like a microcosm of the whole town.”
Tim Ponomarenko, a sophomore at Live Oak, said this year was the first time he actually marched in the parade, although he’s watched from the side.
Photo by Marty Cheek
Residents admire the Morgan Hill Holiday Tree at the corner of Dunne Avenue and Monterey Road.
“I like to see Morgan Hill have a little fun because I usually see Morgan Hill as a boring city,” he said. “I’d just like to have some fun and this is a good opportunity to hang out with friends and meet new people. It just makes me feel more pumped up for Christmas, New Year’s and the holidays.”
As the minutes until the parade kickoff counted down, Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce Chairman of the Board Rich Firato said the annual parade showcased the spirit of the holidays in Morgan Hill’s downtown.
“It just brings the community together downtown one more time during the year,” he said. “People come back here to their hometown for the holidays celebration and they come here to relive memories of when their parents brought them to see the parade.”
Among residents who brought their children to the parade was Matt Wendt carrying his one-year-old son Gavin Wendt on his shoulders. Wendt’s wife and Gavin’s older brother were in the Little Gym entry of the parade.
“It epitomizes what Morgan Hill is, a family-friendly town,” Wendt said. “It’s a great time for everybody that really brings the Christmas season in.”
Morgan Hill Wine Shop and Cigar co-owner Jeff Burris served as the announcer for the parade, his jolly voice coming out of the public audio speakers lining the Monterey Road parade route. The Kiwanis give him a list of parade entries to help him know what might be passing down the street.
“They don’t always come down in the order they say they will, so I have to keep my eyes out,” he said.
Burris described the parade as a great way to bookend the December’s holidays with July’s Freedom Fest events.
“It’s the second of the two great parades that Morgan Hill has – the Fourth of July celebration and the winter celebration for the holidays,” he said. “It’s what Morgan Hill is all about, a family celebration.”
Morgan Hill resident Terry Moriyama loves the parade so much that she reserves the tables outside Rosy’s at the Beach restaurant to enjoy food and wine with her friends and family as they watch the marching bands and floats go by.
“I love the holidays,” she said. “I’m involved with Rebekah Children’s Services and helped start the Festival of Trees. I have 10 trees in my house every year, so you might say I’m a bit obsessive.”
The Holiday of Lights Parade was started 27 years ago by the city of Morgan Hill staff who ran it for about a decade. It was then turned over to the Morgan Hill Kiwanis Club because of the costs in man-hours and money, said Mary Lou Conragan who serves as the chair of the parade for the Kiwanis
“I think it’s a hometown holiday. All the kids and organizations are in it, and this is what makes Morgan Hill a town instead of a city,” she said.
This year’s parade had 38 entries, slightly more than average, she said. There were more floats than most years, showing people are getting more creative. The parade usually runs 45 minutes to an hour. This year’s parade was fortunate to have good weather, as past years have been chilly or rainy.
At the end of the parade, Santa Claus rides on the deck of Boy Scout Troop 799’s Magic Ship of Christmas, waving at the people viewing the celebration of the season. At the Community Center, he joins Mayor Steve Tate and together they lead the crowd in a countdown to light up Morgan Hill’s holiday tree.
“The parade this year was better than ever,” Tate said. “There was a lot of enthusiasm. It kicks off the Christmas season in Morgan Hill, it really does.”
