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Final preparations under way for the 51st annual Summer Solstice parade

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The Summer Solstice 2025 festival has officially kicked off on Friday.

This years theme is Wild World and final preps for the big parade were being done at the community arts workshop on Friday afternoon.

"It's going to be fantastic, I'm so excited, it's always fun to be a part of Summer Solstice, just to see everyone that comes out and get to celebrate," said artist, Louis John. "It's a really great thing that Santa Barbara and the festival does,"

One artist shared what viewers can expect for Saturdays parade.

"We've created something called House of Huerta like a fashion house and we have created clothing made with cat food cans and we're making hats out of food containers, household recycling," said parade prop maker and artist, Emma Jane Huerta. "But we're going to have a very elegant fashion show, because we're actually the clowns of solstice,"

Independent artist for the parade shared where his inspiration came from.

"If you see me without my head gear on I have long white hair and a beard and I look like a white lion," said independent artist Richard O'steen. "I'm part Scottish, so the lion is a symbol of Scotland. My first parade that I was in was in 1987, I moved here in 1984 and then watched it for a couple of years and said 'I got to get in there.'"

The festival includes a kid zone and will officially wrap up on Sunday.

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51st annual summer solstice parade
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Andie Lopez Bornet

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