On Friday, my family and I headed to Montrose for the annual Christmas tree lighting and festivities to kick off the holiday season. There were so many people there! For most of the event I was seated on the outside “balcony” of Montrose Town Kitchen & Grill, enjoying a glass of wine and pizza. I had a perfect viewing spot! I easily saw the Hummingbird Conservatory singers, the Christmas tree and the antique fire engine. My granddaughter was especially interested in seeing Santa (he was posing for photos) and the “snoap” (snow plus soap) falling from the sky. I was so grateful being part of this community.

The next day was Small Business Saturday. In Montrose, several merchants contributed gift packages, gift cards and certificates to be won on the shopping park’s spinning wheel. On Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. folks lined up for the free hand-led pony rides and over the weekend Santa could be found handing out candy canes along Honolulu Avenue. The horse-drawn trolley that carried shoppers (at no cost) up and down Honolulu Avenue was also found over the weekend. This staple of the holiday season in Montrose gives shoppers the chance to browse all that Montrose merchants offer. To learn more, visit http://www.shopmontrose.com/.

The horse-drawn trolley won’t be in service on Saturday, Dec. 6 though; the town will be preparing for the annual Montrose Christmas Parade. 

The parade is organized and run entirely by volunteers. These dedicated people make sure all participants are lined up and ready to roll down the avenue at 6:10 p.m. sharp. The list of participants is varied and includes dignitaries, chambers of commerce, Scouts, musicians and more! (Reps from the local paper may be seen as well.) Even Santa can be found along the parade route! Around 25,000 people attend the annual parade so some restrictions have been put in place. To learn about them, visit https://montrosechristmasparade.com/.

On Saturday morning, I was part of a car show at Albertsons on Foothill Boulevard in Tujunga. As president of the Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce, I had the chance to visit with some of the folks who came out to see the more than 60 classic and vintage cars on display. I also had a chance to “talk up” the chamber and all the activities planned. In fact, the chamber is having a ribbon-cutting this Sunday, Dec. 7 from noon to 3 p.m. for GT Sim Racing at 2865 Foothill Blvd. This is its grand opening and I look forward to seeing many Crescenta Valley residents come out to support the business. There’ll be food and free racing, so mark your calendar now!