On Dec. 2, the City of Pleasanton celebrated the start of the holiday season with the Holiday Hometown Parade.

The city canceled the parade last year due to rain. This year, the city planned a rain-or-shine parade and fortunately, the forecast was clear.

“Last year a torrential downpour forced the cancellation of the parade, but we still lit the tree. This year, I saw record crowds of families anxiously watching for Santa to come down Main Street. That was before we lit the ceremonial tree. I thought the night was a huge success,” said Pleasanton Mayor Karla Brown.

Amador Valley marching band leads the Pleasanton parade

The parade was kicked off by the Amador Valley marching band who brought spirit and gained cheers. They weren’t the only school band to make an appearance in the parade. Foothill, Washington, and Mission San Jose also played lively tunes while their colorguards dazzled the viewers.

“I really enjoyed performing in the parade since we weren’t able to last year, and the entire colorguard and band team put in a lot of effort into practices. Being able to watch other bands was also super fun because it’s just a good time for everyone,” said Amador colorguard member Nabeeha Chowdhury (‘24).

Parade participants march through Main Street

Along with the bands, many organizations and groups marched or rode down Main Street in floats. From scout troops to the Meadowlark Dairy to the city council, everyone in the parade was showing their holiday enthusiasm.

“There were 80 separate participants for the parade including Girl Scouts troops, Boy Scouts troops, hot rod cars, tractors, and businesses displaying their holiday spirit. The Mayor and Council rode on a 1945 Mack fire truck. It’s a look back into our history as we drive down our current Main Street,” said Brown.

Charity and shelter groups also partook in the event. Mr. Amador and East Bay SPCA marched downtown to raise awareness for their cause.

“It was my first time walking in the parade. And to do it to promote the George Mark Children’s House made it even more special,” said Mr. Amador member Khang Nguyen (‘24)

Lighting the Christmas tree

To bring the parade to a close, event participants and organizers gave remarks on the incredible turnout for the parade. They also lit the tree in front of the Museum on Main. As the crowd joyfully counted down from ten, Santa pressed a button, making the tree sparkle with hundreds of lights.

“My family and I come to watch the parade every year, but my favorite part is always the tree lighting because it’s a fun event with everyone counting down and seeing it lit up always gets me into the holiday spirit,” said attendee Catie Nielsen (‘24).