Cars, Clowns, Color Guards Star in Parade

Jefferson Martin, 6, couldn’t decide which mini-car was his favorite.

“No, no, I want that one, Dad,” he said, pointing to a red go-cart-like contraption driven by a bearded man from a Shriners club. “No, we need that one instead,” he shouted, pointing toward a black radio-controlled car zooming around on the ground like an out-of-control, long-antennaed bug.

The boy and his 3-year-old brother, Sam, enjoyed every minute of the Ventura County Fair Parade, which marched 1.6 miles down Main Street on Saturday morning. They rose to their feet for every passing American flag. They praised the clowns, especially the one sitting in the bathtub. And their eyes grew wide as a scene from the Wild West, complete with convicts and cops, walked past.

Several were amused by the Oxnard Shriners Club members, who handed out ticket stubs that said, “This is a free ticket. It’s not worth anything. It’s just free.”

While the kids liked the mini-cars, the adults were impressed by the antique vehicles. The sight of a 1965 Volkswagen Bug cruising down the street stirred childhood memories for Alicia Hahn of Oxnard.

“Oh, can I buy it?” she asked as the two-tone car drove by. “Honey, are you going to get me that convertible?” she said to her husband, Fred.

The parade’s theme was “Visions of Tomorrow,” but only a few entrants addressed that topic. There were some Martian-esque participants featuring students in silver attire with metallic wigs. And there were posters showing diverse groups of people joining together in apparent peace. For the most part, the parade seemed less about a theme and more about spectators soaking up the atmosphere and participants having fun.

For the families who lined the street for the two-hour affair, the eight high school bands and six color guards generated the most enthusiasm.

“I like them because they are loud,” said Adrian Macias, who had come with nine of her family members to watch her 7-year-old daughter, Amber Alonzo, in the parade. The little girl was a cheerleader, and had been told only the day before that she would be participating. “She was so excited, she started jumping up and down,” her mother said.

One family of four that attends several parades a year was enjoying the sun and the good cheer as much as the actual entries. But the two boys--Bradley, 6, and Joshua, 3--had almost had enough of the cloudless sky and beating sun. After Joshua took off his shirt to cool down, they both climbed into their father’s lap for a nap.

Their mother, Shari Hughes, said she liked the small-town feel of the parade. “It’s a real community, and I like that.” Her husband, Denis, recalled fond parade days from his youth and wanted to pass that feeling on to his children.

Unfortunately, the boys were getting fed up. “We’re losing them here,” he said as Joshua sprawled on the ground to try and get comfortable.

The parade was smaller than other years, with only 110 entries, according to Bob Cornett, parade chairman.

“Every parade is great, it’s just some are better than others,” he said. In past years, there have been 150 entries. He said next year they might put more effort into marketing and advertising.