Times O.C. Parade Draws Thousands to the Streets

Alice Evans has left childhood far behind, but she was as wide-eyed as the thousands of cheering youngsters Saturday who lined the mile-long route of the Times Orange County Holiday Parade.

From her folding chair on the front porch of the Broadway Manor Guest House, the 92-year-old Pittsburg, Pa., native said the Christmas-caroling high school bands and the high-stepping horses with holiday wreaths draped on their necks brought back memories of Christmases past.

“I love Christmas Eve,” Evans said from her seat, a brightly colored blanket covering her legs. “I love it when children get to open their presents. They really seem to get a kick out of that. This brings back memories.”

Evans and about 75,000 others, according to police estimates, were treated to a holiday feast for the eyes as giant balloon characters floated down the palm-lined parade route, bands marched in time and clowns worked their entertaining magic on a sun-drenched crowd.

Not even the balmy temperatures could hold back the Christmas spirit when Santa Claus arrived, bedecked in his heavy red suit and hat, leading his reindeer through downtown streets.

Although many of the units appealed to childhood fantasies, the parade’s theme, “Learning--Celebrate Life’s Adventure!” was represented with educator Jaime Escalante serving as grand marshal.

Escalante, whose extraordinary teaching achievements at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles were the subject of the movie “Stand and Deliver,” received a particularly enthusiastic greeting. Many in the crowd rushed to meet him as he sat in the back of an antique automobile in the parade’s forming area.

“It’s great to be part of this beautiful parade,” he said in an interview. “If education is part of any event, I’ll be there.”

Escalante said he hoped the children in the audience would look to marching band members and others involved in the parade as role models.

“I would like the kids to see this and want to be part of this. It’s a way to motivate the kids. I want them to stay in school.”

Escalante’s message and the alluring sights and sounds didn’t seem to be lost on 14 children, all brothers, sisters or cousins who arrived early this year for a curbside spot on Broadway, near the start of the route.

“It’s Mighty Mouse!” one of them yelled as the 75-foot-tall helium-filled super-hero glided through the sky above them. The popular cartoon character was making its debut in the parade as the lead balloon.

Rosita Lopez said her five children and relatives representing the Calderon and Martinez families look forward to the event each year.

“We never go to the parades in Hollywood or the Rose Parade,” Lopez said. “This is something that happens just in Santa Ana, and we wouldn’t miss it.”

While she spoke, her 3-year-old twins, Garrett and Gabriel, dressed in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle regalia, blasted greetings on toy trumpets to the giant mouse passing above them.

The parade was sponsored by The Times Orange County Edition, and associate sponsors were Nordstrom, Kaiser Permanente, First Interstate Bank and Great Western Reclamation and more than 60 other Orange County and Southern California organizations.

Among the eight balloon entrants was the popular cartoon family of Popeye, Olive Oyl and Sweet Pea. Rounding the corner at 17th and Washington streets for the final leg of the route, the crew keeping Olive Oyl afloat was particularly careful to avoid collisions with intersection signal lights.

Safely past the lights, Olive, standing in stylish helium shoes 16 feet long, delighted the crowd by dancing the rest of the way with the help of her energetic ground crew.