Kids & Family

May Fête Returns Saturday

Marching bands, floats, food trucks and more to converge Downtown.

Downtown Palo Alto will come to life Saturday when dozens of floats teeming with children parade up University Avenue as part of the May Fête Children’s Parade 2012.

The parade will begin at 10 a.m., rain or shine, and will travel down University Avenue, turn right onto Waverly and end at Heritage Park, where across the street the Museum of American Heritage will also be having a Vintage Car Show.

This year’s parade theme is “Palo Alto at Play,” and will include floats, marching bandsm dance groups, clowns, martial arts studios, and kids from preschool to high school.

Find out what's happening in Palo Altowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“This is a fabulous event that celebrates playing in Palo Alto,” said parade organizer at Children’s Theater Theatre Technician Cy Ashley Webb. “You get to see Palo Alto at its best, and at its best for children.”

The parade will also include a flotilla of green machines, including the Fisker Karma, Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf, and of course the hometown Tesla Roadster.

Find out what's happening in Palo Altowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Floats are being made by dozens of local businesses, schools and community groups, including the Children’s Theatre, Palo Alto Humane Society, the Stanford Marching Mand, Palo Alto Family YMCA, Free the Children, Theatreworks, and many, many more.

This year’s parade will be led by Grand Marshall Bob Klein. Klein authored California’s 2004 Stem Cell Initiative and was head of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

“We’re deeply honored that Bob agreed to serve as Grand Marshall,” said Judge Luckey, Managing Director of the Palo Alto Children’s Theatre, celebrating, its 80th anniversary. 

With clear, sunny skies forecast for the weekend, the parade is sure to be a hit.

Following the parade, the fun continues at the Palo Alte May Fête Fair at Heritage Park, where bands from Paly, Gunn, David Star Jordan Middle School and JLS Middle Schools will perform. Activities will include Frisbee Spin Art, face painting, and animal tattoos, balloon artists, and the Palo Alto Art Center Truck. There will also be a bunch of food trucks, including WeSushi, The Wow Truck, MoBowl, JO’ on the GO, and Scoops SJ Ice Cream.

“We may be a community of movers and shakers but Palo Alto knows how to play,” said Webb.


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