Lobsters on Parade Mixes Claws and Claus

It was a Hawaiian Christmas--and a Native American Christmas and a farm equipment Christmas--in Camarillo on Saturday when the community’s 36th annual parade marched down the street mixing themes from throughout the West Coast and beyond.

Santa on a sleigh still brought up the rear and there were Christmas hats aplenty, but many of the floats showed remarkable ingenuity in creating eclectic combinations.

Thousands of residents--most not wearing red or green--crowded the sidewalks along Las Posas Road to see the spectacle and herald what was called the local kickoff to the Christmas season.

“This is the way to get the season started right,” said Jan Maez, standing near the start of the parade. “Now it’s officially Christmastime.”

The 106 floats, bands and other entries traveled along a two-mile route on a sparkling afternoon that some had feared would bring clouds and drizzle.

Many children lining the route were fascinated by the animals--freshly coiffed dogs, goats wearing antlers and horses with ribbons and painted hooves.

But the older kids and their parents were enamored with the bands, including one from San Diego.

Katie Sutherlin, 17, boarded one of four buses in San Diego early Saturday to cheer on her school band from Scripps Ranch High School.

The theme of the extravagantly dressed Scripps Ranch band was “a kind of boat-islandish-Hawaiian and octopuses Christmas theme,” she said.

Sutherlin wore a Hawaiian print shirt, a garland wreath in her hair and red and green nail polish and bells on her tennis shoes.

But her costume didn’t touch the sophistication of those in the parade.

The clarinet players sported snorkels, orange life vests and facemasks. The saxophonists were draped in fishing nets filled with starfish, shells and seaweed. The trumpet players labored under bright red lobster costumes and multicolored flotation devices.

There were also Christmas bulbs, leis, wreaths and the ubiquitous Hawaiian shirts.

“We have been preparing for this for a lot longer than a month,” said Jackie Read, who had a daughter dressed as a penguin in the band. Her other daughter, 12-year-old Jessica, said she can’t wait to get to high school so she can participate.

“This is everybody’s favorite parade because each year our costumes get better and better and people are having so much fun,” she said.

“If I were doing something else it wouldn’t be nearly this fun.”

As the bands played a repertoire of holiday classics, an ice castle float that resembled the North Pole and a float featuring baby Jesus in a manger moved down the road.

Most spectators left the parade content. Some even said they would choose this parade over the Rose Parade in Pasadena.

“This is a hometown parade,” said Connie Brown, who has lived in the area five years.

“It’s not big and glitzy, but it’s the people from around here, from this town and that’s why I like it.”