1983 - THEME WAS “CHRISTMAS AT GRANDMA’S.” GRAND MARSHAL, GENE MARZEC; 80 ENTRIES.
1984 - THEME WAS “CHRISTMAS ON MAIN STREET.” GRAND MARSHAL, DONNA NELSON; 66 ENTRIES.
1985 - THEME WAS “A CHRISTMAS WISH.” GRAND MARSHAL, VICTOR SALAS; 90 ENTRIES.
1986 - THEME WAS “A CHRISTMAS PAST.” GRAND MARSHAL, HAL RINGLE, SR.; 60 ENTRIES.
1987 - THEME WAS “A CHILD’S CHRISTMAS.” GRAND MARSHAL, MAUREEN SPENCER, STORY LADY; 70 ENTRIES.
1988 - THEME WAS “CHRISTMAS CHEER.” GRAND MARSHAL, HOWARD BOLTON; 70 ENTRIES.
1989 - THEME WAS “THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS.” GRAND MARSHAL, PAT ALDERSON; 75 ENTRIES; 25 EQUESTRIAN ENTRIES.
1990 - THEME WAS “CHRISTMAS FRIENDS.” GRAND MARSHAL, CECIL PRECIADO; 65 ENTRIES; VERY NICE WEATHER AND THE PARADE WENT SMOOTHLY.
1991 - THEME WAS “CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD.” GRAND MARSHAL, TOM RILEY; 70 ENTRIES; NICE WEATHER; THE AWARDS CEREMONY WAS MOVED TO EBELL PARK AND THE KIDS HAD FUN PLAYING ON THE GRASS.
1992 - THEME WAS “CHRISTMAS MEMORIES.” GRAND MARSHAL. LES H. MALAND; 75 ENTRIES; 12 YOUTH FLOAT AND 8 CUSTOM CAR CLUBS; THE WEATHER WAS PERFECT AND EVERYONE HAD A GOOD TIME.
1993 - THEME WAS “FAMILY CHRISTMAS.” GRAND MARSHAL, DONNA AND TERRY NELSON; 82 ENTRIES; MANY COMMERCIAL ENTRIES THIS YEAR; THE WEATHER WAS COOL AND BREEZY; MANY COMMENTS THAT THIS WAS THE BEST PARADE EVER.
1994- THEME WAS “CHRISTMAS AT HOME.” GRAND MARSHAL DOROTHY ANNE PHILLIPS; 72 ENTRIES. RAINED THE DAY AND NIGHT BEFORE. THE PARADE DAY WAS COOL, CRISP. AND BEAUTIFUL AND THE PARADE RAN SMOOTHLY. THERE WAS PLENTY OF VARIETY AMONG THE ENTRIES.
1995- THEME WAS “CHRISTMAS MEMORIES.” GRAND MARSHAL ANITA PULIDO; 70 ENTRIES. IT WAS A WARM DAY AND EVERYONE HAD A GOOD TIME.
1996- THEME WAS “A FAMILY CHRISTMAS.” GRAND MARSHAL RICHARD RUIZ; 75 ENTRIES. IT WAS WINDY THE DAY BEFORE BUT IT WAS COOL AND CALM ON PARADE DAY. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ENTRY WAS THREE BLOCKS LONG. THE CANDY CANES WERE REMOVED FROM MAIN STREET ON JANUARY 18, 1997 FOR THE LAST TIME BY THE S.P. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
1997- THEME WAS “A TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS.” GRAND MARSHAL RAUL CERVANTES; 75 ENTRIES. THE WEATHER WAS PERFECT AND IT HAD A SLIGHT CRISPNESS. THERE WERE A LOT MORE ENTRIES WITH CHILDREN IN THEM THIS YEAR. MAIN STREET WAS UNDER CONSTRUCTION BUT IT WAS OPEN FOR PARADE DAY. THE TRANSPORTATION MUSEUM OPENED FOR THE FIRST TIME ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE CLOCK TOWER.
1998- THEME WAS “KIDS IN TOYLAND.” GRAND MARSHALL GENE MARZEC; 73 ENTRIES BUT ONLY 50 SHOWED UP BECAUSE IT WAS RAINING. IT STARTED RAINING 3:00 AM AND CONTINUED UNTIL ABOUT 11:00 AM. THIS WAS THE FIRST PARADE SINCE THE COMPLETION OF MAIN STREET. THE NEW TREES WERE DECORATED WITH TWINKLE LIGHTS THAT WERE TURNED ON AT NIGHT.
1999- THEME WAS “CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD.” GRAND MARSHALL RALPH LEON; 54 ENTRIES AND ALL BUT TWO SHOWED UP. THE WEATHER WAS PERFECT FOR A PARADE.
2000- THEME WAS “CHRISTMAS DREAMS.” GRAND MARSHALL JOE BRAVO. 56 ENTRIES AND ALL BUT THREE SHOWED UP. MANY COMMENTED IT WAS THE BEST PARADE IN YEARS BECAUSE OF THE VARIETY AND MANY ENTRIES HAD MORE VEHICLES AND PEOPLE INVOLVED. THE WEATHER WAS PERFECT.
2001- THEME WAS “A CHRISTMAS WISH.” GRAND MARSHALL JOYCE CARLSON WAS SELECTED BECAUSE OF HER WORK WITH THE MURALS PROJECT. 60 ENTRIES BUT 10 DROPPED OUT BECAUSE IT WAS RAINING. LIGHT RAIN IN THE EARLY MORNING AND POURING DOWN BY NOON. MANY COMMENTED IT WAS A GREAT PARADE AND IT WAS WHAT WE NEEDED AFTER THE TRAGIC EVENTS IN SEPTEMBER.
2002 - THEME WAS “A PEACEFUL CHRISTMAS” GRAND MARSHALL PEGGY KELLY WAS SELECTED BECAUSE OF HER WIT AND EFFORTS IN SANTA PAULA. HAD 67 ENTRIES BUT DROPPED TO 55 BECAUSE OF THE RAIN. IT RAINED THE NIGHT BEFORE AND UP TO 9:45 AM THEN IT QUIT AND IT WAS SUNNY DURING THE PARADE. BY 1:00 PM WE HAD THUNDER AND LIGHTNING IN SANTA CLARA VALLEY AND FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS IN THE COUNTY. RAINED THE REST OF THE DAY. MANY SAID IT WAS THE BEST PARADE EVER AND WE HAD MANY NEW AND DIFFERENT ENTRIES.
2003 - THEME WAS “CHRISTMAS AROUND THE WORLD” GRAND MARSHALL TONY VASQUEZ WAS SELECTED BECAUSE HE HAS GIVEN SO MUCH OF HIMSELF TO THE COMMUNITY AND HAS NOT ASKED FOR THANKS. THE WEATHER WAS GREAT AND THERE WERE 50 ENTRIES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT REVIVED THE TRADITION OF HANDING OUT CANDY CANES AT THE FIRE STATION.
2004 - THEME WAS “THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS” AND THE GRAND MARSHALL BEVERLY HARDING WAS SELECTED BECAUSE OF HER CONTINUED SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY OF SANTA PAULA. BEVERLY RODE THROUGH THE PARADE TWICE. THE SECOND TIME ON THE FIRE ENGINE THAT HER FATHER RODE ON AS A FIREMAN. THE WEATHER WS GREAT AND THERE WERE 55 ENTRIES. LOU LINGO MADE HIS LAST PASS THROUGH THE CHRISTMAS PARADE.
2005 -THEME WAS “A FAMILY CHRISTMAS” AND THE GRAND MARSHALL CONGRESSMAN ELTON GALLEGLY WAS SELECTED BECAUSE OF THE EFFORTS FOR SANTA PAULA OVER THE YEARS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE FLOOD REPAIR WORK IN THE SANTA PAULA CREEK AND THE SANTA CLARA RIVER, AND THE FIRE ENGINE HE HELPED SECURE FOR SANTA PAULA WITH A FEDERAL GRANT. ELTON RODE A SECOND TIIME THROUGH THE PARADE ON THE FIRE ENGINE THAT HE HELPED SECURE. THE WEATHER WAS PERFECT. THE CROWD WAS FOUR TIMES NORMAL SIZE AND THERE WERE 58 ENTRIES BUT MANY ENTRIES HAD A LARGE NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS OR MULTIPLE VEHICLES.
2006 - THEME WAS “A PERFECT CHRISTMAS” AND GRAND MARSHAL, RETIRED FIRE CHIEF PAUL SKEELS WAS CHOSEN FOR HIS MANY YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY AND THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE WEATHER WAS PERFECT, THERE WAS A VERY LARGE CROWD, AND THE PARADE WAS LONGER THAN NORMAL. THERE WERE FEWER ENTRIES BUT MANY OF THE ENTRIES WERE VERY LARGE. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS AT THE FRONT OF THE PARADE AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS AT THE END OF THE PARADE.
2007 THEME WAS “A CHRISTMAS OF MEMORIES PAST” AND THE GRAND MARSHALL WAS ED ROINA, THE PERFECT CHOICE AS HE HAS LEFT US WITH MANY MEMORIES OVER THE YEARS. THE WEATHER WAS PERFECT, THE CROWD WAS LARGE, AND THE PARADE WAS THE LONGEST IN OVER 20 YEARS, 1 HOUR AND 15 MINUTES. AGAIN, MANY OF THE ENTRIES WERE VERY LARGE, SOME WERE TWO BLOCKS LONG.
2008 THEME WAS “CHRISTMAS TOYLAND” AND THE GRAND MARSHALLS WERE CATHY AND CARL BARRINGER. SANTA PAULA’S FAVORITE COUPLE. THE CROWD WAS THE LARGEST EVER AND THE PARADE LASTED 1 HOUR AND 15 MINUTES. THE WEATHER WAS PERFECT. THERE WERE MANY NEW AND EXCITING ENTRIES.
2009 THEME WAS “A CALIFORNIA CHRISTMAS” AND THE GRAND MARSHALL WAS JERRY BURNS. THE CROWD WAS EVEN LARGER THIS YEAR, THE WEATHER WS PERFECT, AND THE PARADE WAS LONG AND THE ENTRIES CLOSE TO EACH OTHER WITH NO LAGS.
2010 THEME WAS “A MUSICAL CHRISTMAS” AND THE GRAND MARSHALL WAS HELEN HALE. THE CROWD WAS THE LARGEST EVER SEEN AND THE SPECTATORS WERE OUT INTO THE STREET. THE WEATHER WAS COOL AND SUNNY. THERE WERE MANY POSITIVE COMMENTS ABOUT THE PARADE.
2011 THEME WAS “A CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS” AND THE GRAND MARSHALL WAS ELAINE HUNT. THE WEATHER WAS VERY WARM AND WINDY, BUT THE WIND DID SLACK A BIT AS THE PARADE STARTED. AGAIN, THE CROWD WAS VERY LARGE AND THERE WERE MANY POSITIVE COMMENTS. TIME WARNER AND KADY FILMED THE PARADE.
2012 THEME WAS “CHRISTMAS AT GRANDMA’S” AND THE GRAND MARSHAL WAS KEN ARY. THERE WERE 70 DOVES RELEASED AS THE PARADE APPROACHED THE ANNOUNCERS. THE WEATHER WAS PERFECT AND THERE WERE 57 ENTRIES. AGAIN, THE CROWD WAS VERY LARGE.
2013 THEME WAS “EVERY DAY IS CHRISTMAS IN THE LIBRARY” AND THE GRAND MARSHAL WAS ILENE GAVENMAN. THE WEATHER WAS PERFECT, THE DOVES WERE RELEASED, TIME WARNER AND KADYTV FILMED THE PARADE. THE CROWD SEEMED TO BE THE LARGEST IN A LONG TIME. THE LIBRARY HAD A GRAND RE-OPENING FOLLOWING THE PARADE AND THE NEW FLAG POLE IN FRONT OF THE LIBRAY WAS DEDICATED.
