Gather at the Parades!

Recently I had planned to have a quiet evening at home, but then my son called, asking, “Aren’t you coming to the Monster Truck Parade?” What does a mom say to that? “Of course, I’m coming!” Parades can be magical. They can draw us out of our routine and our hiding places and spark spontaneity. Parades are a place for the community to gather.

Imagine a parade from your past. Does it bring up cheerful, colorful images and feelings of celebration, fellowship, and nostalgia? Parades are a celebration displaying the best things a community has to offer. Historically, parades showcased power and brightened the lives of the general population during dark and difficult times. Floats and costumes provide a momentary escape from the mundane with flashy displays of excess, and the order of marching bands or military units evokes awe. As we press pause on our lives, we can take in the sights and feel for a moment that all is right in the world.

Maryanne Wylie Montandon, a long-time teacher at Red Bluff High School, has taken her two daughters to local parades for decades. The sisters, now Red Bluff High School teacher Jamie Statz, and popular parenting blogger Kacie Ellis of Elements of Ellis, continue the tradition with their children. Jamie and Kacie appreciate how parades create a sense of community, drawing both the young and old together for a joyous occasion. Jamie’s five-year-old daughter, Stevie, loves the “tambourines and music.”

Parades are a big part of their family tradition. Maryanne grew up in the small community of Whitmore, and she explains, “I liked anything that brought people from all walks of life together. Parades do that. I marched in the Redding Rodeo parade as a child playing my clarinet as part of the Shasta County outlying schools’ marching band. In the Red Bluff Rodeo Parade, I rode my cousin’s pony, marched as a cheerleader with the Berrendos Band, and supported political candidates and local banks.”

Maryanne’s uncle, Ron Koenig, was Sheriff of Tehama County for many years, and in support of him, Maryanne rode in many parades: Red Bluff, Paskenta, Corning, and Manton. Later, her girls were always a part of the Wells Fargo Stagecoach or the Butte Community Band Fire Truck. Maryanne’s husband, Steve, served as a judge at the Red Bluff Christmas Parade. Last year her cousin, Sharlet Graham, put together a special parade in Manton for the Veterans Memorial.

Maryanne’s father, Jack Wylie, tells the story of how he had been heading to his hometown in Oregon after the war, and the Red Bluff Round-Up parade was going on. He says Red Bluff had the prettiest girls, so he stopped there and never left! He met Maryanne’s mom and did not return to Oregon until 15 years later! They all thought he had died in the war and were crying to see him again. Jack, 92, still enjoys going to the parades with those pretty girls, his granddaughters.

As you can see, parades have played a very special part of the Wylie family history. North State Parent wants to encourage all our local families to put a parade on your holiday calendar by sharing the information for three Tehama County holiday parades.

The Red Bluff “Colors of Christmas” Parade takes place on Saturday, November 30, at 5:30 p.m. The Grand Marshal this year will be the Tehama District Fair, celebrating 100 years. The fun will start on Madison and Walnut Streets.

Corning’s “Hometown Christmas Lighted Parade” will be held Saturday, December 7, at 5:30 p.m., and the theme is “Good Ol’ Family Christmas.” The parade starts at the Veteran’s Hall located at 1620 Solano Street and will end by the Corning Police Department on Solano Street. Corning downtown vendors will be open with store displays, and there will also be food vendors, a tree lighting ceremony, and a kids’ zone. Prizes will be awarded for the best-themed float and best light display.

A quieter, more intimate parade will be taking place at the same time over in Rancho Tehama Saturday, December 7, at 5:30 p.m. This annual Community Christmas Parade starts in the Recreation Hall parking lot. The parade, with flatbeds donning decorations and lights, will weave through a familiar route. At the end of the route, they will light the town Christmas tree and share hot chocolate and cookies.
May you gather with your loved ones during this season of hope and wonder!

The ancient word “Tehama” once meant a place where rivers could be crossed. With our county’s rich currents of history, happenings, and hope, this is our crossing place today — where we meet to celebrate our beautiful Tehama County.