By Jason KUROSU

The holiday season has arrived in Montrose with its unique and welcoming manner: lights strewn about Honolulu Avenue and folks looking forward to this Saturday’s Montrose Christmas Parade. Newer traditions, such as White Friday, are looking to become a permanent part of Montrose’s holiday celebrations.

White Friday began as a response to Black Friday, but focused on deals and sales at local businesses. It has now become a two-day event, with White Friday followed by Small Business Saturday.

Ken Grayson, owner of Grayson’s Tune Town and president of the Montrose Shopping Park Association, said that it was important for people to keep shopping locally.

Grayson, whose store ran specials during the weekend, said that without consumers shopping at local stores, “the tax base erodes and property values are affected.”

In addition to the sales, tons of snow was transported to Honolulu Avenue, creating a winter wonderland further enticing foothills residents to come the local shopping park.

“The kids had a ball with the snow,” said Grayson, who was happy to see “substantially more people” than in previous White Fridays.

Mary Dawson owns Revelation Tops and Mountain Rose Gifts said the town “felt like a living scene from a Norman Rockwell painting.”

Carolers treated the public to all the familiar Christmas tunes, singing from a red trolley wagon set up at the intersection of Honolulu and Ocean View Boulevard. There the tree lighting also took place, attended by Glendale mayor Dave Weaver, Glendale City Councilmember Frank Quintero, Grayson and other members of the MSPA. Weaver’s 5-year old granddaughter Kiana beckoned the tree to life with the command, “Let there be light!”

Kiana’s mandate led to the instantaneous lighting of the tree and all of the Christmas lights throughout Montrose – with the help of students from Crescenta Valley High School’s Prom Plus Club who dashed from tree to tree along Honolulu to plug in the lights.

Weekends until Christmas, the shopping park will host a trolley to transport shoppers down the avenue and Santa will be strolling the sidewalks offering greetings and candy canes. Hand-led pony rides will also be available and live music will entertain shoppers.

  Jason Kurosu