SAN MARCOS, CA — The San Marcos holiday parade, a community tradition for more than 30 years, may not happen this year after the Kiwanis Club of Lake San Marcos announced it can no longer host the event due to financial constraints.
The annual parade has historically featured the Mission Hills High School band marching down Mission Boulevard, drawing crowds and community pride.
This week, the Mission Hills High School Band Booster Club went before the San Marcos City Council to ask whether the city could take on any of the financial needs.
But the cost may be too much for the city to absorb as it could take anywhere from $50,000 to $70,000 to get the parade off the ground, not including staff resourcing and time.
Pablo Lara, a senior at Mission Hills High School and drum major, said he and his fellow band members were shocked by the news.
"We get to show our city like what we really do, and we get to just celebrate and walk down Mission," Lara said.
Lara said he believes the community should still find a way to come together.
"They might have a good reason, but I think we should still come together as a community and put on a parade and celebrate our city," Lara said.
In a statement, the city said in part, "While the city is not able to take on an additional holiday event this year, we wanted to find another way to support them."
Lara said the prospect of losing the parade weighs on him.
"Not being able to have that parade, um. It's just gonna be different," Lara said.
The Kiwanis Club of Lake San Marcos did not respond to a request for comment. Whether the parade will happen this year remains unclear.
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