The 2010 Lights On Celebration Parade

It rained almost all day yesterday. Would it stop before the parade started?

It sure did stop! 

It was a clear, but cold, night full of spirit and joy. Lots of people came out to watch the annual holiday parade. We ooh'd and ah'd, and waved and cheered as young dancers, baton twirlers, Cub Scouts, martial artists, derby gals, school kids, business folks, bands, and others marched or road floats through downtown Hollister.

It was such fun!

For more photos, head over to Take 25's Facebook page by clicking here.

A Movie Filmed in the County

Can you name one movie, besides Vertigo, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, that was filmed in San Benito County?

How about La Bamba?

La Bamba is the movie about Ritchie Valens (aka Richard Valenzuela), an up-and-coming teenage rock and roller in the mid 1950s. One of his hits was a rocking version of the Mexican folk song called "La Bamba".  The movie of the short-lived singer was written and directed by Luis Valdez, the founder and artistic director of El Teatro Campesiño in San Juan Bautista. Released in 1987, some of the scenes were filmed in San Benito County.  Below is the trailer, after which you might want to check out these links:

• La Bamba, Wikipedia
• "La Bamba" tells the story of family, by Martin Cheek, Hollister Free Lance

Santa is Coming to Town

It's the 20th annual Lights On Celebration tomorrow, November 27, in downtown Hollister. The parade starts at 5:30 p.m. Hopefully, the rain that is expected tomorrow will not be falling during the festivities.

Happy Thanksgiving, One and All!

Yesterday in downtown Hollister!

Eat Locally: Ella's Italian Restaurant

Within the last few months, Ella's Cafe on Airline Highway changed it's name to Ella's Italian Restaurant. The taste and the quality of the food, thankfully, has stayed the same—yummy, yum, yum!

Don't believe me. Check out the reviews at Yelp. Ella's was given 4.5 out of 5 stars.

The restaurant may be difficult to find. It's in the plaza on the southeast corner of Airline Highway and Sunnyslope Road. It's near Staples and across from McDonald's.