Santa: Making His Way Down Honolulu

Saturday night was a glorious night for those living in the Crescenta Valley. Thousands of folks headed down to Honolulu Avenue for the evening’s annual Christmas parade.

Starting at Rosemont Avenue and continuing down Honolulu to Verdugo Road, people lined up to welcome the parade entrants. Whether seated in chairs brought from home and wrapped in comforting blankets or standing and shouting “Merry Christmas!” people were eager to celebrate the parade.

Crescenta Valley Weekly has been a participant in the Christmas parade for more than a decade. In the days before COVID, we’d host a pre-parade Christmas party for our clients and friends. Post-COVID, the pre-parade party dwindled, finally ending a couple of years ago. This was the first year that the CV Weekly only entered a car into the parade – my red Lexus. Though decked in (muted) holiday cheer, the car was perfect to carry the four of us down Honolulu Avenue. 

I have decided, though, that next year we’ll return to a larger vehicle that can carry more of us; after all, between our drivers, writers, photographers and staff, it’d be nice to offer to everyone involved with CV Weekly the chance to travel down Honolulu Avenue and hear the positive “shouts” we receive. (As an aside, I never tire of hearing “We love CV Weekly!” as we travel down Honolulu in the Christmas parade.)

After enjoying ourselves at a VIP reception hosted by Montrose Town Kitchen & Grill, the four of us boarded my car, our entry into the Christmas parade. We entered at Rosemont Avenue, following the Scouts who were carrying our sponsor banner. From the start, we heard positive shouts for the Crescenta Valley Weekly. Seeing the decorated avenue and all the people who lined the streets was incredible!

Every year I look forward to making my way down Honolulu Avenue in the Christmas parade. And bringing up the rear was Santa himself!

The fun continued on Sunday with the ribbon-cutting of GT Sim Racing on Foothill Boulevard. For that event, I put on my Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce hat. On behalf of the chamber, I welcomed to the neighborhood this new (and one-of-a-kind) entertainment venue. Along with my board members and dozens of guests, we enjoyed food from LC Smashed Wagyu Burgers before climbing aboard the simulated racing experience. 

GT Sim Racing is the chance to experience auto racing in a safe environment. Though the technology does make you feel like you’re really on a track, the fact is that if you go off-track, you won’t get hurt (well, maybe your pride).

Coupled with the many high-end cars on display, our experience at GT Sim Racing was a great way to end the day.