Santa Maria Parade of Lights set to return after four-year absence, organizers looking for more entries
SANTA MARIA, Calif. – A beloved holiday tradition is set to return to downtown Santa Maria next month when the Parade of Lights is held on Saturday, Dec. 2.
The annual parade dates back more than 30 years and has been a longtime favorite event for Santa Maria residents during the holiday season.
However, the parade has not been held for the past three years, due to California state mandated Covid-19 restrictions in 2020 and 2021, along with rain concerns in 2022.
Now, after four long years of waiting, parade organizers with the Rotary Clubs of Santa Maria and Nipomo are preparing to return the event back onto Broadway for a much-anticipated return.
"We're all really excited about getting it going again," said lead organizer Mike Gibson, with the Santa Maria Rotary Club. "It's kind of a magical night on Broadway. All the families show up. There's several thousand people all along Broadway. It's just a fun night. It's a family night, community night, and we're really looking forward to putting it on again."
There are currently 85 entries that have signed up to participate in this years parade. Organizers are asking the community for additional entries, which may include groups, organizations, businesses, families or anyone else who would like to take part.
The goal is to reach 103 entries, which will ensure the parade fills out the allotted two-hour period from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
"There's no cost to be in the parade," said Gibson. "It's free. Anybody can enter. We have no restrictions other than we can't have animals in the parade since it's a nighttime event. We just ask that you fill out an application, put the script that you want the announcers to read. There's seven announcers up and down Broadway announcing all the entries as they go by and that lets everybody in the area know about your entry and what who's on it, what type of decorations you have."
For those who are unable to attend the parade in person, once again it will be televised live on News Channel 12.
For more information about the Santa Maria Parade of Lights, or to submit an entry application, click here.
