Festival of Lights glows despite wet weather

By Megan Ma, Town Crier Staff Writer

Even though the 29th annual Festival of Lights parade appeared close to a rain-out Sunday afternoon, a devoted crowd of optimists arrived downtown for an evening of glittery floats and robust holiday music.

Lee Lynch, president of the Los Altos Festival of Lights Parade Association, said organizers remained hopeful that the rain would let up by early evening. She was right, and by 7 p.m., the parade was off to a buoyant start.

Before the floats came out, toddlers and teens frolicked in the street, waving glow sticks, and people chatted with their friends on the sidewalk over cups of hot cocoa.

Despite the spectator enthusiasm, the usual highly sought-after spots on the sidewalk closest to the street were fairly empty. Some who had arrived in the early morning to stake out sections for their families appeared to have abandoned their posts.

“I think the rains kept a lot of people away. There was a late rush of people coming in,” said Los Altos Police Chief Bob Lacey.

For longtime Los Altos resident Mark Cabot and his two sons, huddling in down jackets on the Main Street sidewalk was a small price to pay to see their favorite floats. Cabot, who grew up attending the Kiwanis Pet Parade and the Festival of Lights Parade, said he wouldn’t miss the event for any amount of rain.

“It kicks off the holiday season. I get to see people I haven’t seen in a while and see my friends,” he said.

Of the 52 entries in this year’s parade, many were classic repeats. The lead float featured a sparkling glitter carousel with horses moving up and down, spouting soap bubbles that sailed through the streets. The luminous Snow Queen - who was seated on a throne in a sea of silver and gold - drew sighs of delight from the crowd. A lively retinue of fairytale characters trailed behind, including Little Red Riding Hood and Little Bo Peep.

A Hawaiian-themed float from Christ Episcopal Church featured a man playing a ukulele and an elegant hula dancer.

Another float featured a detailed set of toys and dolls on a bed of snow. The theme of “It’s a Small World” played on, as some adults hummed along to the familiar tune from their childhood.

Lynch said the festival is, foremost, an event for local children. The non-profit association that puts on the event relies on volunteers. The parade costs more than $20,000 annually and is manned by nearly 200 volunteers.

“Christmas is the life of this season for children, and it’s a good community event,” Lynch said.

Other parade participants included the Bay Area Siberian Husky Club, a troupe of young husky dogs that pulled sleds festooned with colored lights and bells.

Firefighters from the Menlo-Atherton Fire Department rode in a red antique fire truck. Some ran along the streets, high-fiving children. The scene evoked an earlier era when service officers were cheered as small-town heroes.

High school marching bands punctuated the night air with blasts of horns, drums and silky flutes. Bands from Los Altos, Mountain View and St. Francis high schools were among the local schools showing off their skills. From improvised dance moves to coordinated flag maneuvers, the students dazzled the audience with their moves.

A technical problem in the last spectacular Santa Claus float may have detracted from its overall effect but appeared to go mostly unnoticed. As Santa Claus sat high in his sled, the reindeer were supposed to light up, but the wet weather shorted out the lights. It was the only element the weather managed to dampen on the festive night.

The chilly night sent some spectators trickling into nearby restaurants, and some merchants brought their wares outside. Owners of the Cravery had their employees walk the sidewalks and hand out potpie samples to warm up parade-goers. Le Boulanger employees sold clam chowder, hot cocoa and coffee at a booth outside the store.

Los Altos resident Liz Mockapetris said the parade was a satisfying end to the Thanksgiving weekend.

“It was great, I loved the marching bands. I’ll definitely be out again next year,” she said.