Frank X. Moraga
By Frank X. Moraga / Amigos805
An aluminum tree. A gigantic, shiny aluminum tree — gigantic to a three-year-old, anyway. I can’t remember what year dad brought the five-foot-tall contraption into our house, but it must have been in the early 1960s before we moved from our two-bedroom, freeway frontage home on El Rio Drive to what seemed to kids to be the upscaled Bartolo Square subdivision near Cedar Street and Ventura Road in Oxnard.
But I do remember that tree, sitting on top of my mom’s old cedar chest with its shinny Christmas ornaments dangling much too temptingly close to this toddler. I can’t remember if that was also the year that dad purchased that spotlight that shined through a rotating plastic wheel, giving the silver tree its red, green, yellow and blue color scheme. Keep your LEDs. That was pretty high tech in my day.
Sometimes I think I imagined the whole thing but then once in a while I stumble across that color photo that Mom took — she was the family’s photographer — with the kids situated around the tree in our matching mom-made short-sleeve shirts, with Dad grumpily seated on the couch probably wondering why the reception was so bad on that gigantic wooden console black-and-white TV with the round screen smaller than an iPad.
Yes, it was Christmas time in the Moraga household in the El Rio neighborhood of Oxnard.
Besides admiring the tree, and all the nicely wrapped presents underneath, I also recall Mom and Dad herding the kids to the robin’s egg blue and white top ’55 Chevy station wagon for our trip to A street in downtown Oxnard.
Usually, we headed downtown to buy clothes, shoes and other items at the old J.C. Penneys store at the corner of 6th and A streets.
But not this time. Something was up. So there we sat in what was probably another damply cold December evening in Oxnard.
Soon the music started, the bands began to march and the Christmas parade began in earnest. I can’t recall if there were floats, dignitaries seated in cars, horses or the rest of the usual fare we have come to associate with parades.
One old 1960s-era holiday photo of downtown Oxnard shows decorations, including a star and a red bell, strung across the street in front of J.C. Penneys, with the Oxnard Hardware sign in the foreground.
Nope, I don’t recall the ornaments.
What I do recall is Santa appearing in the parade, with city workers tossing out candy canes. What more could you ask to make such a magical season.
In time, the city fathers decided to block off A street in an effort to make the downtown more pedestrian-friendly in order to compete with the new indoor Esplanade Mall across the freeway from my old home on El Rio Drive.
Another idea that didn’t work, resulting in even more stores losing business and closing up shop.
Eventually, the parade was rerouted to B or C streets before being returned to its rightful A Street home.
But for me it will never be the same. That magical time, like fleeting youth, has long since disappeared. However, it still brings such warm memories on a cold December night.
Meanwhile, the memories of tomorrow for some lucky youngsters are just a few days away as the 805 region gears up for the holiday season.
Here is a listing of some of the upcoming events.
- The City of Oxnard officially welcomes in the holiday with the 63rd annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony — said to be Ventura County’s tallest Christmas tree at 110 feet — at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6 at Plaza Park in downtown Oxnard. Visit http://www.downtownoxnard.org for more information.
- The annual Oxnard Christmas Parade will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Dec. 7 beginning on A Street, before proceeding to 5th and then C streets. Marching bands, horses, local school groups, floats and a visit by Santa are promised.
- Just in time for the holidays is the annual Oxnard Tamale Festival from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7 at Plaza Park. Featuring tamale-making demonstrations, a tamale-eating contest, holiday crafts fair, music and activities for youth. Visit http://www.OxnardTamaleFest.com for more information.
- Ventura will hold its holiday tree lighting at 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6 at the San Buenaventura Mission. Visit http://wwwOxnardTamaleFest.com for more information.
- The annual Holiday Street Fair will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7 in downtown Ventura.
- Santa Barbara will present its Downtown Holiday Parade at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6. The parade begins at State and Sola streets. Visit http://www.santabarbaradowntown.com for more information.
- The Allan Hancock College Concert Band will present a free holiday concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6 at the First Baptist Church, 2970 Santa Maria Way, Santa Maria. Call 922-6966 or toll free 1-866-DIAL AHC (342-5242) ext. 3252 for more information.
- San Luis Obispo will present its 38th annual Holiday Parade beginning at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6 at Palm and Chorro streets. Visit http://www.visitsanluisobispocounty.com for more information.
- The 48th annual Parade of Lights will be held from noon to 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14 at Channel Islands Harbor. Visit http://www.channelislandsharbor.org for more information.
- The 37th annual Ventura Harbor Parade of Lights will be held at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 20-21. Fireworks begin at 8:30 p.m. Visit http://venturaharborvillage.com for more information.
Whatever event you enjoy, please have a safe and merry holiday season.
— Frank X. Moraga is editor/publisher of Amigos805. He has served as business editor, director of diversity and general manager of a bilingual publication at the Ventura County Star, and as a reporter in the community editions of the Orange County Register and Los Angeles Daily News.