Salinas residents come to the rescue and save a downtown holiday tradition.

The holiday season in Salinas was set to start on the wrong-foot when organizers of the Salinas Holiday Parade of Lights announced on Nov. 14 that the event this year would be canceled. But that bad news inspired residents to take the lead and engage in a rescue mission to restore the festive parade. 

The event has been running for over 20 years, attracting thousands of people of all ages to enjoy the two-hour show of floats, music and folklórico in downtown Salinas. 

“It’s like a Christmas tree driving right through Main Street,” says Esteban Garcia, one of the organizers.

In five days, the Salinas community worked against the clock to save the parade. The phones at City Hall and those of volunteer organizers kept ringing, with people eager to help. 

“I was kind of devastated with the thought that we were going to cancel a holiday parade,” Mayor Kimbley Craig says. “That’s part of the quality of life that residents come to expect from the city and the community.” 

Craig volunteered to call businesses, seeking sponsorships. “They needed to raise money for the event, and I committed to doing that. So that’s what I worked on last week,” she explains.

Carissa Purnell, who works for the Salinas Union High School District and is active in civic life, stepped in to recruit and manage volunteers for the event. Over 125 people signed up, getting the personnel needed. 

Five days after parade organizers announced they were canceling the event because they were short of volunteers and funding, the plan was back, with 106 volunteers and a long list of sponsors—including Taylor Farms, Church Bros., Don Chapin Company and Republic Services. 

Garcia says the call to cancel was made when the nonprofit only had $6,400 in the bank, well below the $11,000 they needed to pay for insurance, portable toilets and other services. Thanks to the outpouring of support, he thinks they might have enough money for this and next year’s parade.  

“It’s remarkable what social media does,” Garcia says. “I’m still getting calls from everybody.”

Craig adds, “I’m really proud of the people that stepped up to volunteer and the businesses that stepped up to sponsor so we could have the parade.” 

Maybe there is a Santa after all.  

Holiday Parade of Lights takes place 6-8pm Sunday, Dec. 1 in downtown Salinas. Free to attend. 710-2425, salinasholidayparadeoflights.org.