Christmas parade, visits with Santa nixed for 2020
The City of Sonora no longer plans to hold a modified Christmas parade this year following the classification of Tuolumne County in the most severe tier of the state’s classification system for COVID-19 spread and risk.
City Administrator Mary Rose Rutikanga said the plans for a “scaled-down version” of the 37th annual Historic Downtown Sonora Christmas Parade, which planned for decorated vehicles and social distancing viewing from homes, was canceled at a meeting of the Sonora City Council on Nov. 16.
“We did not want to be responsible for any kind of congregation whatsoever and thought it was in the best interests of the city to call off the parade,” she said. “It’s extremely disappointing, especially since we have tried and tried and tried from a communication standpoint to ask people to please practice social distancing.”
“It’s the kinder thing to do. It’s the responsible thing to do. It’s the right thing to do,” Councilwoman Colette Such said at the Nov. 16 meeting.
In September, city officials said COVID-19 restrictions would keep the parade from being held in its normal format as it was done for the past 37 years: with a closure of Washington Street through the city’s downtown district and thousands congregating along the street to watch the parade.
City staff were notified that Caltrans would not consider an application for shutting down Washington Street, which is an extension of Highway 49, until Gov. Gavin Newsom lifted the state’s restrictions on large gatherings.
The parade has been held on the Friday after Thanksgiving since 1984. Participants typically included 65 to 70 organizations from local businesses, car clubs and law enforcement.
Rutikanga said the city had mapped out a route that included Morning Star Drive and the neighborhood near the Sonora Elks Lodge prior to the county’s classification in the purple tier of the state’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy reopening system due to a widespread spike in COVID-19 cases.
There were no parade floats planned, but law enforcement, the Boy Scouts, U.S. Forest Service and nonprofit groups planned to decorate their vehicles in a holiday fashion.
“We just could not allow those organizations to start congregating to decorate a vehicle,” Rutikanga said. “It would not be a good idea all around. If we had not jumped into the purple tier, I think you could have seen Sonora doing some kind of Christmas parade.”
Another long-running tradition, the Santa’s Workshop in Courthouse Square, was also canceled due to the ongoing severity of the pandemic.
The city initially planned on a modified version of the event, with screen protection for Santa, masks and social distancing.
However, also following the classification of the county in the purple tier, city officials determined they would not be able to properly protect the public while waiting in line or congregating in the park.
“It’s created a lot of strain on things we take for granted,” Rutikanga said. “We can’t ensure we won’t expose anybody if
we have these kinds of events.”
Santa’s Workshop has seen various location changes in recent years. Following a refurbishment of Courthouse Square, which is owned and managed by the county, Santa was relocated to Linoberg Street in 2016.
In 2017, the gathering was held in Coffill Park. Inmates at Sierra Conservation Center near Jamestown recently constructed a new workshop that debuted in Coffill Park that year.
Rutikanga noted the Sonora Chamber of Commerce has planned a marketing campaign to promote small business sales in the city.
Between Nov. 28 and Dec. 19, about 20 businesses will stay open later, and many will decorate windows for the holidays, which will then be judged. Participating businesses will have window designs and QR codes, and members of the public can vote on their favorites.