Regional Chamber, City host El Centro Christmas Parade

EL CENTRO — Babies, children and adults dressed in Christmas attire waited from the early hours of Saturday, December 7 along Main and Eighth streets for the start of the Christmas Parade organized by the Imperial Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce and the City of El Centro.

Some other residents of accumulated youth arrived with the help of their walkers, but all arrived excited to witness the Christmas event of 2024.

Other residents brought their pets, some of these also dressed in seasonal attire, some locked in their special seats and others attached with leashes to their beloved owners to avoid getting lost in the crowd.

From early hours of this Saturday, residents of El Centro and the entire Imperial Valley arrived with their chairs, others with benches, to enjoy the two-hour parade.

Hidden among residents, several vendors offered anywhere from chips, water, sodas, champurrado and tamales, as well as candy for those waiting for the event.

Along the route and to its final point at Bucklin Park, sidewalks were entirely occupied by families during the 120 minutes of the parade. Some people tried to avoid the sun’s rays in the shade provided by buildings, homes, and trees, while those sitting on the east side of Eighth Street, had no choice but to endure the rays of the sun. The good thing for everyone was the weather, which turned perfectly that morning.

There were others who brought their umbrellas precisely to protect themselves from the sun. But the common factor was the excitement of waiting for the event.

Other people spent their time on their cell phones. And some others, taco in hand, ate food to endure the day.

At 10:00 a.m. sharp, the Honor Guard began the journey, first heading east on Main, then turning south on Eighth Street. Behind Old Glory walked the Central Spartans cheerleading squad, accompanied by the Great Central Spartan Band.

A few steps behind, the Southwest High School Eagle Band did the same. Other bands that participated were the Calexico High School, the Heber Hawks, Brawley Middle School, Holtville High School, who were joined by car clubs, non-profit organizations, schools, private companies for a total of about 160 groups that participated in the parade.

While some families had to travel several miles to get close to the streets traveled, others like Erica Ponce and her family sat comfortably in the front yard of their residence located on Fourth Street to witness one of the major events of the Christmas season.

Ponce, who has been a lifetime Fourth Street resident, said she has always enjoyed the Christmas Parade since she was a little girl — a tradition that has passed to her children.

“I always love it,” Ponce told the Imperial Valley Press, adding that her preferred act is the Great Central Spartan Band.

Asked about what she remembers from her childhood about the Parade, Ponce did not hesitate to respond: Santa Claus.

“The main thing that we try to see all over is Santa Claus,” she said.

Rosie Roche, an El Centro resident who returned to the city in 1992 after living in Miami with her husband, Bill, coincided with Ponce regarding Santa Claus as her preferred part of the Parade.

“It’s a special day today,” Roche said. The El Centro resident — who has seen kids in her family come in and grow up over years — said she used to see the parade all the time in her childhood. She also said one of her granddaughters, Sade, was in the Spartan Band.

“I am happy to see all these children that come out to be in the parade,” Rosie Roche said.

“In the old days, we’d have the motorcycles,” Bill Roche said.

“It’s wonderful,” Mrs. Roche told the Press. “It’s nice to see all the people out.”