Tehachapi's Christmas Parade, a hometown tradition, Dec. 7

Mark La Ciura.

Tehachapi City Council in last years Christmas Parade.

In a blink of an eye, Thanksgiving has arrived and the holiday season is in full swing.

Christmas trees are sights to behold; the city is lit on every corner; hot cocoa and mulled wine are being enjoyed in coffee shops and wine tasting rooms; and children are scrutinizing their wish lists.

In Tehachapi, a long-running tradition to kick off the holiday season has been the Christmas Parade. As the sun sets on the first Saturday of December, crowds huddle under warm blankets and sip hot cocoa as they await the start of the parade. Excited children run around their parents with glow-in-the-dark toys and anxiously look for the first of the parade floats. Under the growing darkness, businesses, churches, organizations and residents of Tehachapi add the finishing festive touches to their trailers, vehicles, bikes or horses, and at 5:30 p.m., the parade begins. The streets come alive with color and music as beautiful floats shine and shimmer down the street.

This year, the parade route will delight audiences from F and Pauley streets to Robinson Street to Tehachapi Boulevard, ending at the Train Depot Museum, where Grand Marshal Santa Claus will disembark to light Tehachapi's Christmas tree. Guests are encouraged to set up folding chairs along the new route and settle in for a wonderful community event, culminating in a Hallmark moment. Last year, 50 entries made up the parade and each was scored by a set of judges.

The winners of this year's parade will be listed in The Loop newspaper and will receive recognition and awards a few days after the event.

Don't miss this beloved Tehachapi event on Dec. 7 at 5:30 p.m. Thank you to the City of Tehachapi and Coldwell Banker Frontier for their generous sponsorship of this event!

For more information, please contact the Greater Tehachapi Chamber of Commerce at (661) 822-4180.

Clare Scotti is the Executive Director of the Greater Tehachapi Chamber of Commerce.

Mark La Ciura.

Mr. and Mrs. Claus in last year's Christmas Parade