The Season Is Upon Us

On the heels of a fantastic White Friday in Montrose we prepare for the big event – the Montrose Christmas Parade! I don’t think there could have been a better prelude to the parade than the lighting of the “main drag” of Montrose and its huge Christmas tree on Friday. Hundreds of folks turned out for the event, attracted no doubt by the 20 tons of snow that was at the corner of Honolulu and Ocean View or maybe the carolers decked out in period garb that serenaded the crowd. Perhaps it was the “Jolly Old Elf” himself – Santa Claus was there to hand out candy canes and take photos.

I was one of the privileged volunteers with Prom Plus that was given the responsibility of plugging in the lights at 40 outlets along Honolulu Avenue at just the right time so immediately after the tree was lit, the park was also ablaze with hundreds of little lights. It was a beautiful sight and thankfully an ongoing one. The park can be seen every night from now until the first of the new year all lit up. And on weekends during the day, shoppers and diners will be treated to horse drawn carriage rides, live music and strolling Santa.

But now it’s time to look ahead to Saturday, Dec. 3 and the 35th annual Christmas parade.

For Crescenta Valley Weekly, the festivities will begin early with the decorating of our float (I use the term loosely) – a flatbed truck provided by Crosstown Towing.

After all the decorations are in place, we’ll be heading back to the office, which faces Honolulu Avenue, to prepare hot apple cider and cookies to give out to those who pass our window. If you’re in the area, I hope you stop by.

The parade, which begins a little after 6 p.m., promises to be one of the best ever. The weather forecast, at this point, promises a cold evening but a dry one. Our junior marshal is Gavin Dinger of La Crescenta and the grand marshals are Jack and Helen Nethercutt.

The Nethercutts have a rich history – both literally and figuratively. The family founded Merle Norman Cosmetics, a product that I was introduced to in the ’70s and still use today. But cosmetics are not the only thing the Nethercutts are known for. The Nethercutt Collection is something not to be missed.

Located in Sylmar, according to its website The Nethercutt Collection features rare collectibles ranging from mechanical musical instruments and antique furniture to the true heart of the collection: over 250 American and European automobiles dating from 1898 to 1997. And four of these beauties are going to be tooling down Honolulu Avenue on Saturday! It’s just one more reason to make sure you head out to see the parade.
When you have time, I urge you to make your way to Sylmar to check out the exquisite items that the Nethercutts have on display. Being a generous family, they don’t charge admission to the museum. It’s located at 15151 Bledsoe St. in Sylmar.
Be sure when you see Jack and Helen in one of their fine cars making their way down Honolulu on Saturday, shout out a big, “Thank you!”

  robin goldsworthy