Not ever rain could stop the town of Piru from having their annual Christmas Parade. They honored the veterans of Piru as well as this year’s Grand Marshal Mrs. Chessanie, or as some know her, Mrs. Cheese.

Sitting proudly aboard a decorated truck and trailer ensemble provided by OST Trucking, nearly two- dozen Piru Veterans waved and saluted the crowd lined up along the route through the historic downtown district last Saturday. These men were clearly full of pride as many dressed in military hats or attire. With a banner of the days’ theme, “Merry Christmas to our Soldiers”, the lead vehicle was a 1968 “deuce and a half” military transport vehicle provided by local businessman and classic car restoration expert Ellery Engel. The final vehicle in the convoy was Gilbert Zavala’s restored 1971 Chevy truck, with patriotic flags waving in the wintry conditions. Zavala was also part of the tribute as a Vietnam War Veteran himself. This celebration literally covered the bases from A-Z, or Korean War veteran Lupe Alcozar to still-active Gilbert Zavala Jr., who just returned to the states after serving in the Middle East wars. Over 70 current or former Piru residents have been identified for serving our country and range from Manuel “Sleepy” Martinez who served during WWII to men and women still on active duty.

This annual parade and festival, sponsored by the Piru Neighborhood Council, continued into the evening as locals did not let the occasional downpours damper their spirit. This year’s event was orchestrated by Chacha Troyke and her merry band of community volunteers. Grand Marshal Donna Chessani, known by many as “Mrs. Cheese”, has served the town’s youth through her work with Piru School and other local causes. She offered words of thanks and holiday reflections during a brief stop at the judges’ stage, provided by Rancho Temescal; and was acknowledged for her many years of service by parade announcer Stephanie Acosta.

The parade began at the west end of Center Street near the Piru Elementary School, itself a major institution and rich in history on its own. The parade then proceeded down Center Street to the heart of the downtown business district. This area is known for its longtime use as a focal point for film and television productions over the years. The route then turned left onto Orchard Street and terminated at Warring Park, home to “One River Stadium”.

One project leading up to this much-anticipated celebration was adorning the town’s district in holiday decorations along the route. This included setting up 15 potted holiday trees donated for this holiday season by Moon Valley Nurseries and “adopted” for decoration by local businesses and organizations. This included U Scream Ice Cream, Poncho’s Place Restaurant, Elva’s Center Street Market, Arco/AM-PM, Railway café with A&E Hair Salon, plus Sanchez and Piru Markets. Some local groups that jumped into action to add the holiday ornaments included Piru-Fillmore Relay for Life, San Salvador Mission’s Choir and seniors groups, Making A Difference (MAD) Youth, the youth sports league, local boy scouts, Piru Elementary school kids and support from Fillmore-Piru Citrus Association.

Immediately after the parade youth lined up for gifts from Santa Claus donated by the Carnales Motorcycle Club. The festival included entertainment featuring DJ music by Chuck Castro and live music by Mariachi Jalisco and headliner group Dan Torres and the Piru River Band. Local games for youth and enthusiastic volunteers from Relay for Life continued to be featured despite the cold and wet conditions.

This was clearly a celebration of Piru’s contribution to America’s armed forces and a festival of community spirit and pride.