Summer Solstice parade gets down to its ‘roots’ for the 49th year in Santa Barbara
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - With a colorful, clever and creative spirit the Summer Solstice weekend has arrived in Santa Barbara.
The three-day festival will have its main showcase event, the 49th parade, Saturday at noon. The theme is "Roots."
At the Summer Solstice Workshop, the artists and their helpers are making floats, costumes and characters that you may recognize or may have to think about for awhile, to connect to the theme.
This year the festival will again be at Alameda Park with live music, food vendors, and a beer and wine garden .
Logistically, spectators will likely reserve a street spot with a chair or blanket, Friday night or early Saturday morning for the parade.
At noon Saturday the parade will begin on Santa Barbara Street at the corner of Ortega. It usually takes about an hour to pass by the spectators, but if you are close to the end at Alameda Park, it will take about an hour longer to see the end.
A crowd of about 75 to 100,000 is expected.
There are no motor powered vehicles, and no sponsor signs.
It's considered one of a kind in the U.S.
Emma Jane Huerta is an artist that will be in the "Punch and Judy" ensemble wearing a crocodile head. She plans to get up close to the spectators with her movements and personality.
One of the floats is a tree stump with a hideaway kids may climb into. Lark Batteau was working on it and said, "people need to be inspired for the child within to come out and create joy and love and light and magic and the more we have of that we have happiness in the world."
One float builder had a twist on the theme.
Irene Ramirez said, "this year's theme was roots so we decided to go with a play on words and create a root beer float. We have our mug that is descending out of roots including our root handle. The whole float is made out of paper machete. It will be part of a strolling picnic with people dressed as mustard, ketchup and a corn on the cob."
The weekend festivities include a musical show Friday night.
Sunday at Alameda Park there will be a free reggae concert from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. There will also be a small afternoon children's parade.
For more information go to: Santa Barbara Summer Solstice.
