Sonoma County Gazette: Guerneville "Parade of Lights"

By Aleta Taylor

After my first time attending the Parade of Lights last Saturday, I was truly impressed. It was, by far, the most entertaining and beautiful parade I had ever seen. The event was announced by 5th District Supervisor Efren Carrillo and RR Chamber Events Director Valerie Hausmann, who did a terrific job describing every business and their involvement in the community. The Parade Princess, Carly Rose, was one of the first to arrive, winning the title by fundraising the most money to support the parade.

Despite the bitter cold weather, the sidewalks were packed with families wrapped in blankets and clutching hot cups of cider and cocoa provided by various stores that stayed open through the event. Children wearing Santa hats enthusiastically grabbed for candy being tossed from the floats.

This being the 9th year in operation, the parade has been attracting participants from farther reaches of the county each year. A newcomer this year was the Bay Area PT Cruiser Club, an impressive line of the flashy cars all decked out in colorful displays. The roaring cheers from the crowd are sure to encourage their return next year.

A popular trend this year was the array of fire trucks from various departments along the river. They included the Russian River FD, Monte Rio FD, Cazadero FD, and Baxman Family Fire Co. all of which displayed their shiny trucks, and loud sirens, proudly. My favorite was the Monte Rio fire truck, which played Christmas carols all along Main Street.

A few other impressive floats were King’s Sport & Tackle, The Woods/RRR/Rainbow Cattle Co., Russian River Sisters, and Bohan & Canellis. I must also mention the wonderful children who participated in the parade, some of which include the Guerneville Gator Band performing Christmas tunes and the Dirt Slingers from Duncans Mills revving up the energy on their dirt bikes and 4-wheelers.

This fantastic event is well worth attending and supporting. If you would like more information on the annual Parade of Lights or want to donate to the fund, please call or visit the Russian River Chamber of Commerce at 16209 First Street PO Box 331 Guerneville, CA 95446 Tel: 707-869-9000. www.russianriver.com