by Noella Noelophile®
(Photograph courtesy of Leslie Davis, and used with permission.)
It’s one thing to know California history.
It’s another to honor it while having fun, at Christmastime.
(Photograph courtesy of Leslie Davis, and used with permission.)
That’s exactly what you’re invited to do, tomorrow morning, as nonprofit Backcountry Horsemen of California present their Columbia All Equestrian Christmas Parade! (Backcountry Horsemen of California are dedicated to conservation of backcountry wilderness, protecting stock users’ historic use of it and educating the public on gentle wilderness use.)
(Photograph courtesy of Leslie Davis, and used with permission.)
The parade starts tomorrow morning, Sunday, December 13th, at 11 am, on Columbia’s Main Street. Now, Columbia–or Columbia State Historic Park–is a living gold rush town, which takes visitors back in time to the 1850’s.
(Photograph courtesy of Leslie Davis, and used with permission.)
Horses, mules, ponies, draft horses, donkeys and miniatures will all be decked out in their Christmastime best, to celebrate both Christmas and the history of the Golden State.
(Photograph courtesy of Leslie Davis, and used with permission.)
Admission’s free, but you’re requested to bring an unwrapped toy to donate, for the parade’s toy drive, benefitting Tuolumne County Action Agency’s Housing Families Program.
(Photograph courtesy of Leslie Davis, and used with permission.)
And, of course, the parade will include two special guests.
Now, since the parade starts at 11 am, you’ll have much of the day to explore the town. And Columbia,is Christmasy–especially with all the special events happening this weekend!
(Photograph courtesy of Columbia State Historic Park.)
From noon to 3 pm, today and tomorrow, you’ll get to drink coffee and roast chestnuts with old-time miners,as they observe “A Miner’s Christmas“.
(Photograph courtesy of Columbia State Historic Park.)
Santa will be roaming around to find out who’s been naughty or nice, and there will be crafts for the kids, 1850s-style.
(Photo courtesy of Markki Pesce, and used with permission.)
You might also like to wander by Nelson’s Columbia Candy Kitchen–and watch Janice Nelson and company making candy canes with some lucky visitors whose postcards were drawn, to help them! (Nelson’s Columbia Candy Kitchen is a fifth-generation, family-owned business!)
Then, tomorrow evening at 5:30, the Spanish tradition of the Las Posadas Nativity Procession happens on Main Street. There’ll be carol singing by candlelight during this re-enactment of the Bible story of Mary and Joseph’s search for lodging in Bethlehem. (Columbia has been staging its own version of Las Posadas since 1983, according to their website, and this interpretation has a definite 1850s-California flavor!)
So–a very Merry 1850s Christmas, from Columbia, California! Hope you get a chance to experience this.