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The Paly Voice

The Student News Site of Palo Alto High School

The Paly Voice

The Student News Site of Palo Alto High School

The Paly Voice

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Downtown "Holiday Stroll" unites Palo Alto community

The trees on University Avenue sparkled with lights as local musicians played familiar holiday tunes downtown Friday night. Families with strollers crowded the streets and teenagers socialized while waiting in long lines for apple cider and crepes.

The Downtown Holiday Stroll was organized for the first time by Palo Alto Downtown Business & Professional Association, in an effort to bring customers to local businesses. The crowds that showed up, however, didn’t so much see the event as an opportunity to spend money, but as a chance to bring the community together.

"It’s rare that the city puts on such an event," junior Graham Peterson said. "It’s a great thing for little kids and for the community."

Though many of the organized activities were directed towards younger children, such as cookie decorating at Kiki’s Candy Store and storytelling at Bell’s Books, high school students enjoyed the sidewalk entertainment and refreshments.

"It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy," senior Taylor Chiu said, as she listened to Paly’s Madrigal Group sing "Silent Night."

Besides Christmas carols from the Madrigals, the Big Butter and Eggs Jazz Band livened Lytton Plaza and the Menlo-Atherton String Quartet dazzled its audience outside of Design Within Reach on University Ave.

"I like that band of guys [playing jazz]," senior Eric Ruth said. "Those guys were rocking out."

The musical entertainment combined with cold weather and an appearance of Santa at the Cardinal Hotel successfully initiated the holiday spirit.

Debbie Whitson, a Social Studies teacher at Paly, attended the festivities downtown with her family and agreed that there was "lots of holiday cheer." Whitson and her daughters enjoyed the lights and music but were disappointed that there wasn’t any snow.

"I remember when I was a kid they used to bring in piles of snow," said Eliza Stevens, an eighth-grader at Jordan Middle School. "I was really disappointed that they didn’t [have snow] this year."

Until 2000, Palo Alto’s Recreation Department annually dumped 40 tons of snow on Hamilton Avenue outside of City Hall. The "Snowmen and Sleigh Rides" event was funded by the city’s special events budget and local sponsers. Like the Winter Stroll, the snowfest was designed to bring people downtown. In fact, one of the reasons the event was cancelled was because it drew too many people.

"Production costs went through the roof," said Palo Alto’s Special Events Manager, Shia Geminder. "If the economy picks up, we may do it [Snowmen and Sleigh Rides] again, but it’s not going to happen for at least another two years."

Even without snow, the Holiday Stroll still attracted a crowd, including a number of Paly students.

"I’ve never seen that many people downtown; it was cool," senior Andrew Pouliot said.

Paly students followed the Madrigals, whose harmonic voices spread throughout downtown. Singing in such a public setting was an exciting change for the musical group, who was used to school sponsored performances.

"We felt really supported by the community," said senior Charles Vickory, Paly’s Student Body president and third-year Madrigal member. "It was a wonderful time to include them [the public] in our usual high-school-only singing."

Vickory was pleased with the audience, but a little disappointed that people didn’t join in during the Christmas carols.

"It was a fun festive mood," said junior Francis Reynolds, also a Madrigal. "The downtown environment was a lot more lively [than usual]. It was a good way to start December."

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