When the Upland Christmas Parade & Holiday Faire kicks off the holiday season for the “City of Gracious Living”at 10 a.m. Dec. 6, it will mark both a milestone and a turning point for the one of the longest-running major holiday events in the foothills as the parade celebrates its 38th anniversary with a new coordinator: the Cooper Regional History Museum.
With this year’s free event hosting a craft fair with over 30 vendors, donations from 40 event sponsors, an appearance by Santa Claus at the downtown gazebo and a parade featuring over 60 groups and 1,500 participants, the Parade & Holiday Faire “is historical,” said Dave Stevens, Cooper Museum president of the Board of Trustees.
“It’s very important to us to keep this tradition.”
This year’s event is sponsored by UDOT, a joint venture of area nonprofit organizations including the Lion’s Club and Volunteers of the Inland Empire and coordinated with the city of Upland Recreation Department, Stevens said.
Over the years, the Parade & Holiday Faire has had many sponsors, including the city of Upland, but the Cooper Museum now stewards the event both because it is a tradition and because it draws attention to historic downtown Upland’s vibrant retail, restaurant and business centers – one of the oldest downtown centers in the foothills.
More importantly, the Cooper Museum over the years has established a unique relationship with the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots campaign thanks in large part to the efforts of Board Secretary and retired Marine Steve Ipson and will serve as a collection center for gifts of unwrapped toys that will be distributed to needy local children, said Stevens.
Located at 217 East A St., at the corner of Second Avenue and A Street in the historic former headquarters of the Ontario - Cucamonga Fruit Exchange’s 1937 Art Moderne style building, the museum is renowned for changing the image of museums of from musty historical depositories to vibrant showcases of regional culture with innovative Open Mic Night performances by local musical artists and Moonlight Summer Concert series in the museum’s courtyard, their unique Classic Car Shows to celebrate America’s armed forces and summer Cooper Kids’ children’s programs in the courtyard introducing young people to the region’s past, art and science along with other programs throughout the year.
There is no charge for the event, which begins at 10 a.m., followed by the parade at 11 a.m., said Stevens. Santa Claus will appear in the gazebo located in the center of the roundabout at Ninth Street and Second Avenue from 1 p.m., to 3 p.m.
For more information on the Cooper Regional Museum and its upcoming events, visit www.coopermuseum.org.
