[November 07, 2009] Annual downtown Christmas parade set for Dec. 4 Tweet Nov 06, 2009 (Los Banos Enterprise - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- The annual Chamber of Commerce of Commerce Christmas parade is weeks away and local members are geering up for the event. This year's theme is "A Dickens Christmas." The parade is sponsored by Wells Fargo this year, who will provide an authentic Stagecoach for Santa Claus to ride in during the parade. The parade begins at 6 p.m., rain or shine. The Chamber of Commerce is currently accepting entry forms. The deadline to participate in the parade is Nov. 20. There is no charge to enter the parade. Entry forms can be picked up and turned into the Chamber of Commerce office at 503 J Street. Applications can also be printed from the organization's Web site, www.losbanos.com. Duane Brehm, Chamber of Commerce board of directors member and co-chairperson for the parade, said there are a few things that make this year's event different. The parade staging area will be held at the former Los Banos Motors parking lot, where members are expecting about 50 entrants, and more than 900 people. The staging area is located at the corner of Sixth Street and Highway 152. "The parade is going to be logner this year, too," Brehm said. We're going to start in front of the post office and cover the whole length of Sixth Street. "We wanted the parade to be longer because we didn't have room for viewers last year," he said. Brehm said Chamber of Commerce members were hoping to find a smoother way to run the parade. Entrants are asked to be at the staging area at 4:30 p.m. There will be two announcing stands; one on the corner of Sixth and J streets and the other at Henry Miller Plaza, where the parade will end. Participants will be judging during the parade based on four categories--Chamber President's Award, Parade Sponsor's Award, Arts Council Award and Mayor's Award. The judges will be located at the J Street announcing stand. Brehm said the Chamber of Commerce is excited for the annual event. "I'm a kid at heart, so I'm excited," Brehm said. Chamber of Commerce President Geneva Brett said she was also excited for the upcoming festivities. "It's a wonderful time when the community can come together as a whole town; everyone is family," she said. Brett also said she's already looking forward to next year's parade because of co-chairpersons' Brehm and Gene Lieb's punctuality and exciting ideas. --Samantha Salas To see more of the Los Banos Enterprise or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.losbanosenterprise.com. Copyright (c) 2009, Los Banos Enterprise, Calif. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]