SOLEDAD — Soledad Chamber of Commerce hosted the 35th Annual Soledad Christmas Celebration on Dec. 5, which was restructured as a drive-thru parade this year due to Covid-19 health restrictions.
Vehicles with lights traveled through town to bring in the festive mood on a Saturday evening. The chamber extended the route from a half mile to three miles this year, and attendees were asked to wear masks and maintain social distancing.
The celebration took place nearly two weeks before the town’s second parade on Friday, Dec. 18, which will be hosted by the online group Front Street.
35th Annual Soledad Christmas Celebration
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Little Miss Snowflake 2019 Katarina Espinoza-Ruiz (left) waves to parade onlookers during the Soledad Christmas Celebration. (Sean Roney/Staff)

Cars line up along West Street before heading out as a parade through the city of Soledad. (Sean Roney/Staff)

Santa waves to children and says “Ho ho ho” through a loudspeaker while aboard a CalFire firetruck. (Sean Roney/Staff)

A baton twirler walks between cars as one of the few non-vehicle participants in the Dec. 5 parade. (Sean Roney/Staff)

Soledad Councilmember Marisela Lara is one of the forward members of the parade, where the city council was located after the mayor’s truck. (Sean Roney/Staff)