Saturday's Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting to Jump-Start the Season

For Roseville holiday parade organizer, Cendrinne DeMattei, special parade memories with her family include trying to get one of the coveted candy canes handed out by parade marchers. 

"Bundling up and drinking hot cocoa and hoping to get a candy cane," said DeMattei about her favorite parade moments. "And seeing Santa at the end always kicks off the holiday season."

A whopping 98 groups are scheduled to march down Roseville's 51st annual Sylvia Besana Holiday Parade route Saturday.

The parade begins at 3 p.m. at the triple intersection of Douglas Boulevard, Riverside Avenue and Vernon Street.

Route details below. 

The city's Holiday Tree Lighting ceremony will follow the end of the parade. Santa Claus and members of the Roseville City Council will turn on the tree's 4,000 LED lights after 6 p.m.

"This year something we are doing is having the parade go back to basics," said Sara Seyydin, Roseville Chamber of Commerce spokesperson. The chamber sponsors the parade. "This year we want it to have a real small town feel." 

Keeping that theme in mind, the chamber is encouraging small businesses and restaurants along the parade route to stay open for shopping and refreshments. 

Paraders will run the gammet from traditional clowns to marching bands — and then some.

"We have several different categories of entries," Seyydin said. "Mounted horses, performances by vocal groups, and the Roseville High Centennial Committee will have a big float with a marching band and past and present members of student government."  

A 1929 Ford Model A, believed to be Roseville's old ice truck is expected to be a parade highlight. 

Parade marchers will include the Creekview Middle School Band, Sliverado Middle School Marching Band, Roseville High School Tiger Band, Antelope High School Band, the Warren T. Eich Middle School Band and the Citrus Heights Community Band. 

Members of the Salvation Army, American Legion Post 169 Color Guard and Cub Scout troops will be on hand. The Sacramento Klown Alley Inc., Roseville Firefighters and Families, the Gold Country PT Cruiser Club and students from the John Adams Academy will march. And Placer County reps are bringing a good old fashioned "Hoe Down." 

For DeMattei the event conjures up Roseville's long traditions. 

"It's reminding us of long ago days when things were simpler and when the holidays were all about family," DeMattei said.   

Parade Route 

The route begins at Douglas Boulevard, Riverside Avenue and Vernon Street intersection. It then proceeds east along Vernon Street and then turns right onto Folsom Road. The parade ends behind the Roseville Square shopping center.

Entertainment and Shopping

• Immediately following the parade, Santa Claus will visit with families in the city's Civic Center rotunda.

• Disney Princesses Rapunzel and Cinderella along with Tinkerbell, Tangled's Flynn and Brave's Merida will perform and visit with families after the parade at the Tower Theater. 

•  Holiday Craft Fair vendors will sell their wares on the 200 block of Vernon Street. 

• A Kids Fun Zone, corner of Grant St., will feature a children's play area, bounce houses and a Letter to Santa writing station.

• The Blue Line Gallery will open their doors after the parade hosting cookie decorating projects as well as hot cocoa for the kids and blue martinis for adults. 

• Radio personality Kat Madru of The Eagle 96.9 FM radio station will MC the parade. 

Tree Lighting, Holiday Tree Details

Santa Claus and Roseville City Council members are expected to light the city's Holiday Tree decked with 4,000 LED lights at about 6:30 p.m.

At 6 p.m. the ceremony begins with performaces from Sing Inc, Stand Out Talent, Silverado Middle School Glee Club and a Multi-Cultural Youth dance group.

The city's Colorado Blue Spruce was planted nearly eight years ago. A Roseville Electric crew of three, Will Baker, pre-apprentice line technician, Shawn Murphy, lineman and Rory Low, foreman adorned the with the lights Thursday. 

One-thousand more LEDs will light up the tree this year, Low said.

"It's fun to come out and do this and to see all the people coming up," Low said. "Everybody always comes up and asks you questions."

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For more things happening around Roseville every day of the week, check our Events Calendar. You can even add your own events at roseville-ca.patch.com/events/new.