Reflecting the true reason for the season, Moon Valley Nurseries of the Piru-Fillmore area has come forth with two significant efforts to support the upcoming 32nd Annual Piru Christmas Parade & Festival as well as support the valley’s seasonal holiday dressings. This year’s celebration, organized primarily by the Piru Neighborhood Council, celebrates with the theme “Merry Christmas to Our Soldiers”. More than 60 current and former Piru residents have been identified by the committee for active or prior military service. They will be honored during the parade and festival and many of them will be on hand during the day. These brave Americans have served our country from the period of World War II to current conflicts.

In preparation for this salutation, Piru’s historic downtown will be graced with over a dozen potted Juniper trees to decorate the area’s business district, compliments of Moon Valley Nurseries. Local community and youth groups will decorate these trees, once placed on the town sidewalks, with colorful trimmings. This will truly light the way for the spirit and will be in place throughout the holiday season. These temporary ornamental trees will adorn Center Street in the downtown area between Main and Orchard Streets. This comes just in time for the annual parade, scheduled for noon on Saturday, December 12, 2009. The parade will be followed with a community festival and continuing with music until 10 pm.

The festival will feature music by DJ Chuck Castro, Mariachi Jalisco, and then Dan Torres and the Piru River Band will be day’s headliner on the Gazebo Plaza. During the afternoon and immediately after the parade, local and regional vendors will be in the Depot & Gazebo Plaza Park for your holiday shopping and munching pleasures. There will also be activities for all ages, including jolly jumpers for the kids and more.

For the adults, a horseshoe tournament and 50/50 Bingo Games will be set up in the park area at Center Street and Piru Square, directly across the street from the Gazebo Plaza. The proceeds from the bingo game will be divided, with half of each game to winner and balance as a dedicated fundraiser for Relay for Life and Piru Seniors & Active Adults League.

In addition to this effort, Moon Valley Nurseries, a year-round business right here in Ventura County, has a huge selection of super fresh Christmas Trees in their temporary lot in Piru at the corner of Highway 126 and Main Street. (See website for map.) They have a unique promotion pledging to donate $5 from every Christmas tree purchased to four Piru-Fillmore youth organizations. You make your choice of tree, then pledge your donation to one of the following four youth sports groups: Piru Youth Sports League, Fillmore AYSO Region 242, Fillmore Raider Youth Football League or Fillmore Little League.