Bakersfield loves a parade
| Wednesday, Dec 02 2009 04:47 PM
Last Updated Wednesday, Dec 02 2009 04:48 PM
GO & DO
What: Bakersfield Christmas Parade
When: 6 to 8 tonight
Where: Begins at 21st and L streets, heads west to G Street, turns south to 20th Street, then turns east to begin disbanding at 20th and O Streets.
The road to tonight's downtown Bakersfield Christmas Parade has been a long and winding one if you ask Art Carlock, president of the parade committee.
He was challenged with the task of re-establishing the parade's nonprofit status, which he felt was a vital step to ensure the parade's stability.
"In this economy, businesses cannot go around making donations without getting something back," said Carlock. "With our nonprofit status, anybody that donates and helps us put the parade on, it's 100-percent tax deductible."
But the money spent on filing and attorney fees meant there was nothing left for the parade itself, prompting the announcement earlier this year that, without donations, the annual event would have to be canceled.
Apparently, Bakersfield loves a parade.
"We had so many step up," said Carlock, "like Carol and Laurie from Coldwell Banker, who donated $2,500 each out of their own pockets; Floyd's donated $10,000 from their employees and lots of others came forward."
Carlock says that generosity put the parade on its feet and, with a large donation from Walmart, "we made it into a deluxe event."
The parade will wind through downtown beginning at 21st and L streets, head west to G Street, turn south to 20th Street, then turn east to begin disbanding at 20th and O streets.
Parade coordinator Pam Carlock has been busy organizing and planning since summer. "We were able to take care of some things on our wish list, especially Santa's sleigh," she said.
Through donations from San Joaquin Community Hospital and KERO-TV, Channel 23, the sleigh and its float have been redesigned, thanks to Redwood High School students who rebuilt the float and the gentlemen she calls "the guys out at the CALM shop" -- Warner Brooks, Charles Thurston, Randy Grueber, Larry Parmenter, David Banker, Steve Downs, Paul Martin, Roger Smith and Richard Groves -- who volunteered to build the sleigh from a design created by Pat Hanzal of Simply Holidays. Santa and Mrs. Claus will wear spiffy new outfits, and Santa's float will feature music by the Tevis Junior High School chorus, which recorded at American Sound Recording Studios.
New this year are vendor marketplaces that Carlock hopes will enhance the holiday experience. "We've got three along the parade route: Santa Lane in the Weill Center parking lot at 22nd and L; Elf Town on G Street between 20th and 21st and North Pole Central at H and 21st streets." Each will have food and merchandise vendors ready for business by 3 p.m. and are drop-off locations for the Salvation Army food drive and the Walmart/KERO toy drive. Those who bring toys will be entered into a drawing at the end of the parade for a $500 Walmart gift card.
North Pole Central is also the home for Santa's Magical Mailbox, a collaboration between Carlock and Teresa Espinoza, manager of the downtown post office, who is "simply thrilled" to be involved.
"Pam showed up at my counter and said that Santa had sent her to recruit honorary postal elves. What she didn't know is that we've done this in the past with Santa letters that passed through our mail stream," Espinoza said. "I went to my boss, Jim Brouillard, postmaster of Bakersfield, and here we are." Postal service volunteers will be available to help children write their Santa letter, then escort them to the Magical Mailbox where their letter will be transported to the North Pole. Espinoza reminds parents that Santa letters brought from home must have a return address for a reply.
What's put smiles on the faces of the parade committee members are the number of volunteers who have offered to help at the parade.
"We have large groups from San Joaquin Valley College, Westchester Kiwanis, Kern Kiwanis and the Seventh Day Adventist youth," said Pam Carlock. "With those and with smaller groups and individuals, we have enough to manage the parade route, help with crowd control and at the marketplaces."
The parade will be telecast live on KERO-TV and Azteca 42 from 6 to 8 p.m. The Fox Theater will show the parade with free admission. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
