Community comes together for festive floats, bands, and holiday cheer as Santa Claus arrives in style

PASO ROBLES — The Downtown Paso Robles Main Street Association held its 63rd Christmas Light Parade on Saturday, Dec. 7. The annual parade officially welcomed Santa Claus to town and was filled with creative floats from local organizations.

With thousands lining the streets waving to family and friends in the parade, not an empty seat was in sight along the parade route that winds up and around Spring, Park, Pine, 13th, 12th, and 11th streets. Nearly 100 floats joined in on the fun this year.

“This is my 29th year as chairing the Paso Robles Christmas Light Parade, and it has always amazed me how creative our community is, and it never fails to be in creating these beautiful floats that light up the night with Christmas magic,” Downtown Paso Robles Main Street Association Executive Assistant Susanne Anshen told Paso Robles Press.

This year’s parade theme was “Sleigh bells ring, are you listening?” Floats ranged from trailers with local Paso Robles school bands to FFA students as well as some vintage cars, motorcycles, firetrucks, and of course, at the end was the big man in red along with his other half — Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus floated through Paso Robles with a freshly painted ride equipped with some new reindeer. Elves helped guide their way assisting the couple in spreading holiday cheer.

This year’s winners are as follows:

Prime Awards:

Sweepstakes Award: #19 Sleigh Bells Ranch Float — Coast Pipe
Judges’ Award: #33 Glenn Speck Elementary School
Special Award: #52 Zoo To You
Santa’s Award: #59 Winifred Pifer Elementary School
Business/Commercial Bands:
- First: #36 North County Septic Service
- Second: Paso Robles High School Marching Band
Color Guard:
- First: Flamson & Lewis Middle School Band
- Second: Civil Air Patrol Bob Beever’s Cadet Squadron 103

Category Awards:

Marching Groups (Adults):

First: #53 Education Employees Credit Union (EECU)
Second: #49 NCI Affiliates

Marching Groups (Schools):

First: #7 Georgia Brown Elementary School

Animal Entries:

First: #6A Animal Sporthorses
Second: #56 MLC Ranch

Commercial General:

First: #5A Lemos Feed & Pet Supply
Second: #13 Aztec Lawn Care
Third: #34 Coastline Concrete & Coastline Concrete Pumping

School Floats:

First: #57 Almond Acres Charter Academy
Second: #43 Lewis Flamson Junior High School
Third: #55 Kermit King Elementary School

Church Floats:

First: #21 Paso Robles Church of the Nazarene
Second: #25 Paso Robles Community Church

Adult Club Floats:

First: #12 Paso Robles Model A Club
Second: #9 Paso Robles Moose Lodge
Third: #41 Creston Village Assisted Living

Youth Club Floats:

First: #35 Skills USA
Second: #38 Paso Robles Girls Softball League
Third: #4 Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid-Central Coast

Commercial Floats:

First: #47 Ant’s Tractor Mowing
Second: #28 Local Beauty Professional
Third: #46 JB Dewar Tractor Restoration Education Program

Automotive/Towing Services:

First: #58 Johnboy’s Towing
Second: #60 West Coast Towing
Third: #50A Paso Robles Towing

4-H & FFA Floats:

First: #37 Paso Robles FFA
Second: #40 Estrella 4-H
Third: #30 Chaparral 4-H

Floats – Nonprofits:

First: #45 Monterey Co. A. & Rural Life Museum

Other Floats:

First: #27 Paso Robles Dental Care
Second: #15 Lake Nacimiento Resort
Third: #43 Ada’s Lodges

Novelty Entries:

First: #44 A Charlie Brown Christmas
Second: #22 Athena Sorenson
Third: #18 Charles Linquist Tractors

Decorated Vehicles:

First: #11 Miller Drilling Company
Second: #42 NorCal Minis
Third: #61 Hidden Power Motor Sports

“I cannot wait to see what next year brings,” says Anshen.

This weekend, Paso Robles will continue the holiday celebrations with the Vine Street Christmas Victorian Showcase held on Saturday, Dec. 14, from 6 to 9 p.m.

For more information on Main Street and its events, visit pasoroblesdowntown.org

Featured Image: Santa and Mrs. Claus delight the crowd with their merry helpers during the 63rd Annual Christmas Light Parade in Paso Robles. Photo courtesy of Kelly Horn