Local News in Brief : Santa Ana : Times Orange County to Sponsor Annual Parade

Santa Ana’s annual holiday parade featuring huge helium-filled balloons, floats and marching bands will be brought to Orange County residents Dec. 3 by The Times Orange County Edition, officials announced Friday.

The 5-year-old event, formerly named Toys on Parade, will be called The Times Orange County Holiday Parade and will be designated an official event of the Orange County centennial.

The 1988 parade theme will be “Celebrate the Holiday Spirit” and the event will salute Orange County’s 100-year history. As in the past, it will feature giant flying balloons; it is the only parade on the West Coast to include the helium-filled spectacles. Floral floats in the manner of the Rose Parade, will be featured for the second consecutive year.

In addition, the top 16 Southern California high school marching bands will appear and compete for the “grand champion” honor. Characters from Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm will also appear.

For the first time, the 1988 parade will be nationally televised through a syndication. Regionally, KMEX-TV will provide Spanish-language coverage.

“The parade is a unique platform for the expression of community pride on the part of many Orange County corporations and volunteers who have worked so diligently to make the parade a success,” said Tom Bay, chairman of the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce.

The Times’ sponsorship involves a three-year agreement, which will add to the growth and stability of the parade, said Ernie Vitucci, general manager of The Times Orange County Edition.