The contagious music, the colorful costumes, the crazy elaborate floats! Summer is here and thousands lined State Street to be
witness to the 2012 Solstice Parade. The beautiful sunny weather could not have been more perfect to showcase such a unique and delightful event. Parking may have been hard to find but watching the parade was well worth the hassle of fighting through traffic and dealing with closed streets and detours.
Beautiful women in flamboyant, yet sexy, attire danced to the beat of the drums played 
by the very talented musicians that wield them, while an assortment of costumes ranging from parrots and flamingos, to angelic figures, to straw skirts and hula hoops could be seen. Stretching from Cota Street to Micheltorena Street, many of the parade’s participants wore makeup and masks that added to the element of fantasy, which is coincidentally this year’s theme for the Summer Solstice Celebration. The floats were just as amazing showcasing dragons and cages, temples, and
thrones, and much much more. The Solstice Parade was a fantastic testament to the hard work and 
dedication of those that worked around the clock to make this year’s event a success.
For those in attendance that wanted to continue the party, Alameda Park was the place to be after the parade. The 2-block park was quickly flooded with people waiting to partake in the the festivities which included live musical performances, artisan work, several demonstrations, and of course, the long row of food tents and food carts. Police and AMR were making their presence known around the perimeter of 
the park in case things got too rowdy. There was a beer garden after all.
All in all, everyone had a good time, and year after year, the Summer Solstice Celebration draws thousands of people to Santa Barbara. Best of all, it’s free to attend. See you next year!
To view more photographs of this year’s Summer Solstice Parade, visit: redpacificmedia.com
No comments:
Post a Comment