San Jose Holiday Parade facts for kids
The San Jose Holiday Parade is a super fun event that happens in San Jose, California. It's known as one of the "Top 25 Parades in America"! Each year, famous people and local heroes join as special guests called Grand Marshals. Many amazing bands from all over America also come to play music in the parade.
History of the Parade
How It All Began
The San Jose Holiday Parade tradition started in 1981. It began when Santa Claus arrived in a grand way for the opening of the Christmas in the Park display. This display is at Plaza de Cesar Chavez in Downtown San José. Santa first appeared on the roof of the St. Claire Hotel (now called the Westin). Then, he magically vanished from the rooftop and appeared at the hotel entrance! Santa then hopped into a horse-drawn carriage. This carriage was waiting to take him up Market Street to the park. In that very first year, the parade was small. It had just a couple of fire engines, some City of San José vehicles, and of course, Santa.
Growing Bigger and Better
The next year, the parade changed its name to the Christmas in the Park Parade. It started on Park Avenue and went in a circle around Plaza de Cesar Chavez. This parade featured a few more groups. These included the San Jose State University Spartan Marching Band, a couple of floats, and groups of children. This tradition continued for several years. Eventually, the parade became too big to just circle the park. The 2008 parade happened on December 7th.
In 1987, KNTV, a local TV station in San José, started broadcasting the parade. This helped the parade become popular all over the Bay Area. In 1993, the Christmas in the Park Parade got a new name: the San Jose Holiday Parade. This started a new tradition. By 1994, the parade began to grow even more. It became a major event in California. It also helped show off California’s third-largest city. Giant helium balloons, professionally made floats, and marching bands from all over North America were invited to join the parade.
Becoming a Top Parade
At the start of the year 2000, the parade was named "One of the Top 25 Parades in America." This honor came from the International Festival and Events Association and USA Today. In 2006, experts in international festivals and events gave the San Jose Holiday Parade a special award. It was called the Grand Pinnacle Award. This award is given each year to recognize the very best international event overall. The 2010 parade was held on December 5th. The special Grand Marshals that year were two World Series champions from the San Francisco Giants baseball team.
