Gallery • 3 Photos

Leticia Ortiz

Opening up the parade in a black convertible, Financial Partners, with their members walking behind them, participate on Dec. 4th for Downey’s Christmas Annual Parade. Every year, people from the city line up to see the show that runs through Florence and 3rd St.

With Christmas around the corner, the city of Downey commemorated the holiday and hosted their 65th annual Christmas Parade on Sunday, Dec. 4.

People who attended the festival lined up along the curbs and cheered for each float or performance. Christmas decorations were hung at each light post and also decorated the streets. People of all ages were dressed in holiday clothes and all kinds of festive hats.

Ceci Moreno and her family all wore matching reindeer hats, walking around and enjoying the festival.

“I like watching the marching bands,” Moreno said. “My granddaughter goes to Warren so I’ve come to watch her.”

She sat with her family and as time passed, the crowd grew bigger.

One student, Melanie Esquivel, 11, made an appearance in the audience and had something to say about the festive celebration.

“I love the holidays,” Esquivel said. “Even though I won’t stay long, I’m glad I came because I’ve never been to one of these parades before and it’s pretty cool.”

Esquivel also commented on how organized the parade was. She is a dancer; therefore, her favorite performance was from the dancers.

Along with the dancers were cheerleaders, floats, classic cars with Downey officials inside, and Boy Scouts as well. They walked for blocks, dedicating their time and effort to make the parade as nice as possible, and on the hottest day of the week.

The Downey Dolphins, the local swim team, walked as well and Jennifer Rauda, 12, was among them, wearing her Dolphin attire.

“Being able to share that experience with my teammates and feeling the close knit relationship of our Downey community was my favorite part,” Rauda said. “We didn’t actually have a routine or anything, we just showed up and lined up, but we still ended the parade in one big clump.”

Downey citizens, like Rauda, felt the holiday cheer with help of the Downey parade and the joy it brought. The streets were packed and blocked off, so most people had to park blocks away from the celebration  and walk. Hard work and dedication was put into the parade and it paid off greatly for the City of Downey.