OLD TOWNE ORANGE WAS recently turned into a galaxy far, far away.
The City of Orange Chamber of Commerce’s springtime parade was quite the spectacle this year as light sabers abounded, Princess Leia-style buns were the fashion and Darth Vader’s stride could be heard from high school marching bands.
“STAR WARS” WAS THE THEME OF THIS YEAR’S CITY OF ORANGE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE’S SPRINGTIME PARADE HELD ON MAY 4 IN OLD TOWNE ORANGE.
But it wasn’t just the “Star Wars” theme, though, that brought out all three of the city’s diocesan schools for the first time, but a chance to represent the institutions they are so proud of.
Holy Family, La Purísima and St. Norbert Catholic schools participated in the annual event held on May 4.
The parade, which was the largest yet, featured floats, horse-drawn carriages decorated with flowers, unique cars from movies like “Jurassic Park,” dancers in red folkloric dresses and even the popular Baby Grogu riding in the back of a blue convertible Volkswagen Beetle with the Mandalorian behind the wheel.
HOLY FAMILY WAS ONE OF THREE DIOCESAN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ANNUAL CITY OF ORANGE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE’S SPRINGTIME PARADE HELD ON MAY 4. PHOTOS BY IAN TRAN/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
The event, which was themed “Come to the Orange Side,” started in 1933, but has not run continuously. Holy Family has participated in the past according to old photos of the parade, but this was the first time all three schools came out.
It was actually Holy Family and La Purísima alumna Elizabeth Holloman who helped bring the parade back to life in 2019. The Orange Chamber of Commerce executive director remembers standing on the side of the street watching the parade go by when she was a young Catholic school student.
“It just made me feel really tied to the community,” Holloman said. “Even when I was growing up, you just felt that you belonged more to Orange because of the parade.”
Holloman said she invited the three diocesan schools to participate because she hopes the experience will help the students feel like they belong to something bigger.
La Purísima brought along six of its cheerleaders dressed in blue and white uniforms complete with a dog in a matching outfit. The event was a chance for the students to feel proud of who they are and where they come from, said Rosa Ramirez, La Purísima’s principal.
“It’s a great community event. We love to be out there,” Ramirez said. “We love to show who we are. We love to showcase our students and their talents.”
La Purísima cheerleader Monse Garcia, 9, said it felt amazing to participate in the parade. In her first year at the Catholic school, Garcia said she was loving that her new school gave her a safe and comfortable space to talk about her faith and wanted to show this to the community at large.
“I want to show everybody that it’s OK to stand out for God,” Garcia said. “I think it’s amazing to show everybody it’s OK to go to Catholic school.”
St. Norbert’s principal Joseph Ciccoianni was joined by two families who share his love of “Star Wars.”
“When they said ‘Star Wars,’ I knew this was an opportunity to show our spirit,” Ciccoianni said. “Let’s dress up, let’s show our spirit and have a great day.”
St. Norbert parents Dianna and Robert Beckman said they jumped at the chance to dress up and show school pride. Dianna Beckman, dressed as Princess Leia, and Robert Beckman, dressed as a Jedi, said they like to build costumes instead of buying them.
Their first-grader, Robert “Hob” Beckman was costumed as Ashoka Tano and preschooler James “Gem” Beckman was wearing a repurposed Chewbacca costume that mom turned into an Ewok. “I like Ewoks, because they have sticks,” 4-year-old Gem said.
“I even let him borrow my stick,” big brother Hob, 7, added.
For Holy Family kindergarteners Juliana Ceja, 6, and Piper McGah, 5, dressing up as Star Wars characters wasn’t in the cards. Instead, both girls donned their red and blue uniforms, and McGah added her Girl Scouts vest on top.
“I’m feeling excited,” said McGah, adding, “For dancing.”
Juliana Ceja’s mom, Betty Ceja, said she wanted to march in the parade to bring visibility to the school. She said she remembers looking for schools for her daughter and having a hard time finding one.
Piper’s mom, Frances McGah, said she wants her daughter to see that we support each other and are a team.
“I’m very proud to send my kids to Holy Family,” Frances McGah said. “It definitely provides a strong foundation for learning. They come home happy, loved, and I know that they are in a safe environment when they are in the classroom. It makes me proud to say Holy Family because I know it is a school that is going to get them ready for life.”