Weather Fails to Dampen Parade Spirit

Despite the gray skies and drizzle, about 2,000 people showed up for the annual Christmas Parade on Saturday morning.

Spectators--most bundled in jackets against the cold, some holding umbrellas--lined Van Nuys Boulevard and cheered on more than 60 groups that participated in the 31st annual parade.

Sponsored by the Pacoima Chamber of Commerce, the parade ended with a community celebration at the end of the route at David M. Gonzales Park.

“It’s nice to see everybody out here, whether it’s rain or shine,” said Armando Vasquez, 33, of Pacoima.

Vendors selling hot dogs, cotton candy and tall hats hawked their wares along Van Nuys Boulevard, where many spectators sat on plastic chairs or atop strip-mall balconies.

Dyanne Hendrix, of San Fernando, stood under a building overhang, wearing a scarf on her head.

“I wish it was a beautiful day,” she said, as a school drill team marched by. “It takes a lot of tenacity for kids to get in this kind of weather and strut their stuff.”

Then Hendrix, 43, noticed a family member. “There goes my cousin!” she exclaimed as her relative passed by in a truck from the Calvary Baptist Church of San Fernando.

Along with community groups and government officials, the parade also featured folk-dancers, classic autos, lowriders and a U.S. Marine tank.

Stella Flores, 44, of Pacoima, said she comes to the parade every year and likes the music. When a mariachi group passed by, she shouted “Feliz Navidad” and “Merry Christmas.”

“I think she had more fun than her son,” joked Martha Flores, 43, a friend of Stella’s.