The Twain Harte Winter Wonderland Christmas Parade!
Santa arrives with a reassuring message: There will be presents this year, for all!
Story and photos by Greg Kristapovich
It’s a grand Mother Lode tradition! The annual Twain Harte Christmas parade! Hundreds of happy, holiday parade lovers turned out Friday night, December 5th, (in unusually mild weather) to watch forty entries: brightly-lit floats, exquisitely decorated vehicles and a variety of community organizations, whith their members marching in formation. The famous Twain Harte miniature golf cart, driven by Marilyn Knudson, made its traditional appearance, and this year signified the golf course’s 55th year! And the golf cart, magnificently adorned with Christmas lighting may have had more lights, on a per-square inch basis, than the Griswold’s famous display! Even before the parade started, there was much merriment! Carols were sung on the deck, out in front of El Jardin Mexican Restaurant, and at 6:00 pm, the Christmas lights on the community tree, near the Arch, were switched on. After the parade, hand decorated ginger bread men were sold at the Sportsman Coffee Shop, with proceeds going to the Twain Harte Rotary Club. While a block away, Santa, himself, hung out at Twain Harte Center, chatted with all the children and took all of their Christmas present requests. A most magical night, it was, in Twain Harte!
The crowd went “Oh” and “Ah” as the big rig carefully negotiated the turn. The “float” represented the 60th Tuolumne Lumber Jubilee, and on board was a lumberjack who swung his axe and cried “Timber!”
Waving to her fans, Dorothy Edwards (a runner-up in 2005’s Twain Harte Mayoral Election, distribution assistant at the Sierra Mountain Times, and the “Mother of Twain Harte”) sits comfortably on the Twain Harte Business Association’s float!
The Twain Harte School Band plays, and contributes to the merriment!
