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Periodic sunshine and then showers are making for a day of uncertainty on whether Pleasanton's's popular Hometown Holiday Parade will kick off at 5 p.m. today as scheduled.

As of 10 a.m. this morning, Michelle Stearns, parade coordinator, said "It's still a go."

In the event of rain, a parade cancellation telephone hotline will be implemented and updated each hour after 2:30 p.m. today. The Cancellation Information Phone Line is (925) 931-5352.

Although Pleasanton saw a brilliant sunrise, the sunshine has come and gone almost by the hour as intermittent showers keep returning. The forecast still calls for rain later this afternoon or evening, just how much later will determine if the parade can be held.

The parade also is scheduled to close with the lighting of the Holiday Tree in front of the Museum on Main. Although a choral group and city officials on stage will be under a canopy, revelers will not.

If it's held, the parade will start at 5 p.m., with bands, decorated cars and festive marchers stepping out from the parking lot at Amador Valley High School.

The Foothill High marching band will lead the parade, with the Amador Valley High marching band in the middle of the hour-long parade, both playing festive Christmas and other holiday music past three reviewing stands where announcers will describe the floats, organizations and walking groups passing by.

Scores of holiday inspired entries including the Pleasanton Weekly's Holiday Fund car, the Centerpointe Presbyterian Church's men's club's Balloon Platoon, a horse-drawn wagon carrying the Pleasanton City Council, hundreds of Cub Scouts and Brownies, local car clubs and dog clubs and many more are signed up to participate in the parade.

Michelle Stearns of the Pleasanton Parks and Community Services Department and parade coordinator, said there are 82 entries signed up to participate Saturday with 2,875 individuals in all and 1,633 walkers. Also in the parade will be 42 cars, 13 floats, four bands and five animal entries (dog groups and horses).

Main Street will close to vehicular traffic at 4 p.m. for the parade.

Each year, the high schools take turns for who will goes first in the parade, with the two marching bands strategically placed as the first and the middle entries because they help set and keep the tempo/pace for the rest of the entries, Stearns said..

The Foothill band will be followed by the VFW and American Legion Color Guard. and then lots of scout groups, Meadowlark Dairy, the Balloon Platoon, Mayor Jennifer Hosterman and the City Council and, of course, Santa Claus.

Stearns said parade participants also will include the Pleasanton Rugby Club, Pleasanton Seahawks, Elvis, the Tri Valley Roller Girls, Fiona the cow from the Adobe, Harvest Park Middle School's Cheer Squad and jazz band, and many more...

One of the highlights of the parade will be a real One Horse Open Sleigh restored by Brad Haupt, who lives with is family on a 5-acre parcel on Johnston Road about 6 miles north of the Pleasanton city limits, but still in the Pleasanton post office delivery zone. Haupt said the sleigh was used by his ancestors from 1890-1910, but then packed away when they started using automobiles. Recently, he refinished it, restoring it with authentic extra thin-wood and fabric where new material was needed.

The tree lighting that will take place when the parade is over with Hosterman pulling the switch for the last time as mayor. Her eight-year term of office expires next Tuesday evening when the city's newly-elected mayor and Councilman Jerry Thorne will be sworn in.

We are getting our float ready for the Pleasanton Holiday parade but may need to get some pontoons if the rain does not taper off.

Windmer World, which plans to have a float in the parade, posted a comment on its Facebook page this morning that it will also postpone the opening of its holiday display at 3671 Chelsea Court. Windmer is one of 12 houses featured in the Lights of the Valley survey of outstanding holiday displays this year.

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