Lights On celebration ignites Hollister's Christmas spirit
Nov 29, 2004 By
Hollister - At the first Lights On celebration in 1990, there were only four buildings downtown lit up for the festivities. Of course, there weren't too many buildings at all in downtown Hollister in 1990.
After the earthquake of 1989 knocked out many downtown businesses, Geri Johnson and the other members of what would become the Lights On celebration committee decided the people in town needed something to lift their spirits. The Executive Director of the Hollister Downtown Association showed the group an "awesome" picture of a shopping mall adorned with lights, and Hollister's Lights On celebration was born, Johnson said.
While the first celebration consisted mostly of the four twinkling buildings and Santa Claus riding down the street in a fire truck, according to Johnson, the festivities have since expanded to include a parade and other family activities.
"It's the best event in Hollister; it really is," said Johnson. "Hollister does have a lot of parades, but this is the only one that's at night, and all the floats have to have lights."
And the festivities have expanded in more ways than one. While the original parade was meant to liven up the town's post-quake mood, Saturday's Lights On parade pulls double duty by getting people into the holiday spirit while showcasing downtown businesses, Johnson said.
The Lights on celebration is a time for people to help put some local business back into downtown, said Johnson.
"It highlights our local merchants, and gives people a chance to see what they have for the holiday season. It really ushers in the holidays, and hopefully gets people to do some shopping downtown," she said.
One lucky winner will even be shopping for free. At the beginning of the parade, a drawing will be done to pick the winner of the Hollister Downtown Association and San Benito County Chamber of Commerce's second annual $700 downtown shopping spree.
But above all, the parade has truly become a family event around the holidays and fosters a sense of community, according to City Councilwoman Pauline Valdivia.
"What's really amazing is that almost the whole town comes out for this event. Everything we do is family-oriented, but this event is really special. And I think that as a community it's really neat that we come out and encourage that," Valdivia said.
This Saturday's festivities will start off at 5:15pm with a welcoming from the president of the Hollister Downtown Association, which sponsors the event. Then Jamie the Elf will kick off the parade by waving her "magical" lantern at the rooftops to light them all up at the same time.
After the parade, there will be family-friendly activities including performances by the Rancho/Maze combined middle school band and the Oriana Chorale.
Valdivia said she will the there on Saturday encouraging the musicians and enjoying the lights from a spectator's point of view for the first time in years.
"I'm excited about it. It's really great that as a community we can come together and enjoy the parade and forget about everything else that's going on," she said.
Jessica Quandt is a staff writer for the Free Lance. Reach her at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or at jquandt@freelancenews.com.
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