Tree lighting, tractor parade gets holidays rolling in Geyserville

The showers that dowsed Sonoma County Saturday afternoon didn’t dampen the enthusiasm for Geyserville’s seventh annual evening tree lighting and tractor parade of lights, where thousands turned out to welcome the start of the holiday season in Wine Country.

The tree-lighting ceremony at the center of town was followed by a parade of tractors, trucks, flatbeds, rigs and even some military vehicles, all decked out with holiday lights and other decorations. About 3,000 people assembled along Geyserville Avenue for the procession, featuring 26 entries, said Karen Waelde, the lead organizer.

“As of a couple days ago, I only had thirteen, so some people really got into the spirit,” Waelde said.

Rain earlier in the day had largely let up, freeing parade watchers from their umbrellas and hoods.

Santa Rosa resident Jodi Formway, 65, sat in a folding chair and kept warm with a San Francisco Giants blanket. She and her boyfriend came for the second year in a row because they had so much fun the first time.

“It’s such a small town, Christmastime-y event, and it’s fun to see all the lighted floats,” she said.

Further along Geyserville Avenue, first-timers Mark and Arlene Santino of Windsor waited with excitement to see their son’s truck featured in the parade.

The truck carried special significance for them: It sat for 20 years at the Lakeport home of Arlene Santino’s late father.

Their son bought the “rust bucket” from his grandfather, restored it and now uses it for his electrician business.

“It’s a special day,” Arlene Santino said.

Local winemakers Ken and Diane Wilson, along with their daughter, Sydney, lit the town Christmas tree, which they donated from their Rockpile Ranch. The event was emceed by Sonoma County Supervisor James Gore and state Sen. Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg.

McGuire appreciated how the holiday event had grown to draw thousands each year to Geyserville, where residents number less than 1,000.

“It is one of the best holiday traditions that Sonoma County has going,” McGuire said.

“And this is one of the best nights for local businesses.”

Downtown Geyserville was full of people well before the event started. At Gin’gilli’s Vintage Home, co-owner Elisa Burroughs said the evening was going well as customers perused her store.

She was happy the rain let up as it came time to light the Christmas tree.

“I think it kept a lot of people at home, but they’ll probably come out,” Burroughs said.

This year marked the first time the road through town was completely closed from 6 p.m. until the parade was over. Waelde said that allowed pedestrians to enjoy the evening and avoid “playing chicken” with passing cars.

Parking remained challenging, but Waelde said she hoped to have a shuttle next year that would ferry attendees to and from parking at Geyserville New Tech Academy.

You can reach Staff Writer J.D. Morris at 707-521-5337 or jd.morris@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter ?@thejdmorris.