SLO Holiday Parade participants prep their floats despite gloomy conditions

Lights are up, tooth cutouts have been placed, and the Christmas tree is ready to sparkle.“It will be very shiny, it will be very bright, it’s gonna look good I think, no matter what,” said Kenzi Holt, a Dental Assistant at Coastal Pediatric Dentistry.Coastal Pediatric Dentistry has had a float in San Luis Obispo’s Annual Downtown Holiday Parade for over five years.“We will be slightly distracting. We’ll be giving out toothbrushes to brush your teeth although they’re not going to be this big,” added pediatric dentist Jimmy Forester.San Luis Obispo High School students are ready to put on a show with their FFA float.“We had to plan it all out. It’s mostly pretty basic but the energy gives it the fun,” explained SLO High School student Broderick Hill. “It’s pretty simple. We do the hay, which is 25 bales of hay, we have to go get that the morning of, and then put that all in. We do the banners, we do the lights, we do the speakers and trees.”The 46th Annual Downtown Holiday Parade brings out holiday cheer and a competitive spirit.“Last year, we won most entertaining for the downtown holiday parade,” said Taylor Young, the communications director for SLO Aggie Backers. “We had 90+ singing and dancing all decked out in their FFA blue jackets, which we are proud to represent; it takes a village to put it together.”In downtown San Luis Obispo, gloomy skies are not stealing the show.“Eighty-eight floats in today’s parade, and we are watching the weather very carefully, but the parade is going to happen rain or shine,” said Bettina Swigger, Downtown SLO CEO and parade organizer.Towels, blankets and chairs are lined up on Monterey and Chorro Streets.“This year, I’m shocked to see all the chairs that were out early this morning. We put ours around 11, but I think I saw chairs coming out probably by 8:30 this morning,” said Hannah Ruffner, manager at Ecobambino.One business is expecting over 100 people at their watch party.“This is the Coast and County Brokers eighth annual parade party,” said Steve Weiss, owner of Coast and County Brokers. “This is for our friends, family and clients.”“We see not just downtown businesses, but the entire community come together on this night, but we are also excited about showcasing some of the lights and sights that downtown has to offer,” Swigger added.A chance for community members to bring out their best holiday cheer, especially with a Rock ‘n Retro theme.The parade starts at 7 p.m. and it is about two hours long.You will know it is over when Santa Claus makes an appearance on a fire truck.