“Madly” Creative

by Noella Noelophile®

(“Mad Hatter and Teapot” photo courtesy of Mad Hatter Holiday Festival, and used with permission.)

Fire-shooting horses, waltzing cadets, Alice in Wonderland characters… calling Vallejo’s annual Christmas celebration “unique”, would be an unbelievable understatement.

All of the above are a fraction of what’s happening this Saturday, December 5th,  as Vallejo’s Sixth Annual Mad Hatter Festival celebrates Christmas, 2015!

(“Vicious Cycle” photo courtesy of Mad Hatter Holiday Festival, and used with permission.)

The all-day celebration starts off around noon with “A Hatter’s Tea with Teddy” at the Vallejo Historical and Naval Museum, then continues throughout the afternoon with the Festival in historic downtown Vallejo, and the Mad Hatter Holiday Parade starting at 4:30.  The day gets capped off (hatted?) with the 6:00 pm Tree Lighting Ceremony, and the 6:30 pm Lighted Boat Parade.

Frank Malifrando is an impresario, strategic-planning and fundraising professional, as well as the co-founder, producer and organizer of the Mad Hatter Holiday Festival.  He talked about the Festival’s origins, his experiences bringing his vision to life and what visitors can expect to see as Vallejo goes “mad” for Christmas, 2015.

The SIxth Annual Mad Hatter Holiday Festival starts at noon, at Vallejo Historical and Naval Museum, 734 Marin Street between Capitol and Jeffry.  Then, at 1:00, the Festival starts outside JFK Library, 505 Santa Clara Street, north of Georgia.  The Mad Hatter Holiday Parade Route is down Georgia Street from Sonoma to Santa Clara, and the parade begins at 4:30.  At 6:00 pm, the Tree Lighting Ceremony takes place behind JFK Library, and the festivities conclude with the Lighted Boat Parade at 6:30.  All activities are free unless otherwise noted.