Christmas came a little early this year … as residents of Escalon turned out to enjoy an afternoon and evening of festivities centered in and around the city’s Main Street Park.

The annual Christmas on Main was staged Saturday, Dec. 2 and kicked off with vendor booths and entertainment on stage at midafternoon. Conditions were favorable, with a mix of clouds and sun, but no rain to dampen the spirits of those attending.

There were some toy booths, others featuring handmade items, food booths, face painting, and several booths with gift ideas for the holidays. They were set up around the park, while the groups on stage were able to perform with the audience sitting on hay bales placed in front of the stage. Behind those, the fire pits for the evening roasting of marshmallows to make s’mores were set up and many of the Main Street businesses welcomed in those attending the festivities as well, offering an opportunity for more shopping, eating and drinking. The Escalon Historical Society Museum was also open for tours.

The parade, a centerpiece of the celebration, was scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. start, taking off once all the entries were lined up along Coley Avenue. It followed the traditional route, turning on to First and then on to Main. Each entry had to include lighting of some kind and the wide variety of participants kept the parade watchers lining both sides of Main Street enthralled from start to finish.

From a rolling snow globe to bicyclists, the high school marching band to the decorated school bus, there were plenty of waves and smiles to go around.

Perhaps the favorite entry, which was featured early in the parade and then came back around at the end, was the Escalon Fire Department truck that had a special passenger; Santa Claus riding on top and waving to the crowd.

On the second time through, Santa stopped off by the historic caboose, where he and Mrs. Claus then took time to pose for photos and visit with youngsters.

The Christmas on Main is put together by the Escalon Chamber of Commerce and features a number of sponsors and supporters.

Also part of the fun was the ‘snow’ that fell in the park after the parade, the machines placed high up in the trees, creating the illusion of snow falling, much to the delight of youngsters.

A sizeable crowd turned out and the annual event signals the official start of the holiday season for the community.