Hailey Martinez
Staff Writer
San Dimas hosted its 13th annual Holiday Extravaganza on Saturday in the historic downtown.
Drawing a crowd of more than 200, the event unfolded with the “Let It Snow” parade, which included local San Dimas organizations and businesses as they marched down Bonita Avenue.
“It really becomes a community, all the shops stay open and give discounts,” said Selina Garcia, who works for Allen Avenue Elementary School. “We have a lot of local vendors that come out so it really makes you feel so welcomed.”
The “Let It Snow” parade included floats, performers and festively adorned participants.
“One thing I love about the parade is being able to see all the community members come through to celebrate one another, especially the children. I love their holiday cheer,” said Adriane Mora, a San Dimas recreation specialist.
Besides the parade, the event included game booths such as a reindeer antler ring toss, and snow slides.
The Crescendo Performing Arts Academy sang classic Christmas carols, including “Here Comes Santa Claus,” and “The Little Drummer Boy.”
“I was a bit nervous especially since it’s our first performance of the year,” said Bay Harismendy, one of the Crescendo performers. “I was happy to see everyone have a great time and sing along with us.”
The height of the evening unfolded with the eagerly anticipated tree lighting ceremony, marking the city’s official start of the Holiday season.
The tree burst into a dazzling display of light, casting a glow that painted the night sky.
“There’s just something about everybody coming together, standing around in a circle and counting down together waiting for the tree to light up,” said Christine Sundberg, development coordinator for the Claremont Institute who attended Saturday’s festivities.
Hailey Martinez can be reached at hailey.martinez@laverne.edu.
Hailey Martinez is a junior journalism major with a photography minor. She is a staff writer for the Campus Times and a staff photographer for the Campus Times and La Verne Magazine.
