Thousands of parade watchers lined the sidewalks as hundreds of participants danced, skated, and rode up Santa Barbara Street on Saturday afternoon for the 51st Summer Solstice Parade.
Starting at the intersection of Santa Barbara and Ortega streets, the parade featured feathered dancers, aliens on rollerskates, and even a smoking volcano to bring to life this year’s theme: Wild World.
No words, logos, or symbols were allowed in the parade, which gave the event a uniquely homemade feel.
One float featured handpainted replicas of buildings, including The Granada Theatre and Santa Barbara Mission, accompanied by women in flapper dresses and men in mustaches. Roaring Twenties jazz played until a low rumble started; the procession stopped and the building started to shake. All of a sudden, one building cracks in two, the mission falls to pieces, and the walls fall off the Hotel California, revealing interior rooms in shambles.
[Click to enlarge] | Credit: Elaine Sanders
It was the 1925 earthquake all over again, a creative way to celebrate this month’s 100-year anniversary of the historic event.
“We were all screaming our heads off. It was fun,” said Steve Hausz, the chair of the steering committee of EQ25, who was walking with the float. “It was amazing how receptive people were, with the joy they got out of it. Joy out of a disaster.”
Stationed under a tent on the corner of Santa Barbara and Canon Perdido, Amber Woodruff was one of the “unofficial judges” of Saturday’s parade. Her job, along with her fellow judges, was to keep spirits high on the hot sunny day.
“When people walk by, we give them either a 10 out of 10, or ‘You’re doing wonderful,’” said Woodruff.
A pink-and-purple-painted, lifesize baby elephant along with its artist, Christopher Noxon, made an appearance, stopping to take photos with kids along the route. “Phantasmagorical Landscapephant” was the winner of this year’s Elephant Parade Solstice Art Box Contest. The professional artist’s paintings have been exhibited at Sullivan Goss gallery and his illustrations featured in the New York Times and Hollywood Reporter.
The parade concluded at Alameda Park, leaving Santa Barbara Street littered with confetti and fallen feathers. Tens of food and vendor tents lined the park, a deejay blasting EDM and house music, and a line of porta potties waited for the community to continue the celebration with the Solstice festival, which concluded on Sunday.
[Click to enlarge] | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom
You must be logged in to post a comment.