"It's wonderful it's back for people to enjoy," said San Jose City District 6 Councilman Ken Yeager. "Sometimes people don't know to appreciate what they have until it's gone."

Last year, the event's longtime sponsor, the Willow Glen Business and Professional Association, called off the celebration because of financial constraints and a lack of volunteers. The Willow Glen Neighborhood Association (WGNA) then took over and hosted this year's festival.

"We kept the tradition of starting with a parade but we added new elements such as a classic car show and story-telling," said event coordinator Susan Cooney. "Our approach is to have a variety of entertainment activities with a theme of celebrating popular culture from the 1920s because Willow Glen became a city in 1927."

Residents voted in favor of incorporating Willow Glen as a separate city on Sept. 8, 1927 for the purpose of keeping the Southern Pacific Railroad Company from laying tracks from Coe Avenue to Almaden Road. Although their efforts failed to stop the project, residents successfully pressed the railroad company to use safer crossing and grade methods. Willow Glen was annexed by the city of San Jose in 1936.

Since 1972, Willow Glen residents have made it a tradition to celebrate the community's values and the camaraderie that arose from their fight against the railroad company.

This year, eight veterans from the American Legion Post 318 led a parade of about 800 people down Lincoln Avenue.

Grand Marshall Leonard McKay, president of the Historic Landmarks Commission, waved from a fire engine and rang alarms to greet people. San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales followed and distributed magnets to children. Yeager, Santa Clara County Supervisor Jim Beall and Rep. Zoe Lofgren waved from classic cars.

A myriad of Willow Glen businesses and organizations also participated in the parade.

The San Jose mounted police brigade and the San Jose Sharks mascot, Sharkie, perhaps attracted the most clapping and cheers from the thousands of spectators.

Former WGNA President Kristina Cunningham said she watched the parade with tears in her eyes.

"It's very touching to see residents come out to celebrate Founders' Day together," Cunningham said. "And it's so much fun."

While some residents appreciated the parade's entertainment value, some liked its educational aspects.

"Willow Glen is such a great community," said Bonnie Rogers, who has lived in Willow Glen since 1963. "It's good that children have a sense of history through the event."

The parade wrapped around and dispersed at the intersection of Minnesota and Lincoln avenues, where people could visit a total of 107 booths spread throughout the elementary school or see the classic car show in the parking lot of Washington Mutual.

This year, the fair was held in the school instead of on Lincoln Avenue to provide more children-oriented programs such as storytelling and pony riding.

Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer Parade Fun: Alex Azadeh, 8, watches intensely as the Willow Glen Founders' Day parade passes by him.

Casey began donating money to the Fund two years ago when he learned that the then-10-year-old girl suffered from Batten Disease, a neurodegenerative disorder. He finally met Aurelio last Sunday and bought a 50-cent cup of lemonade for $100 from her booth.

"I am lucky that my daughter is healthy," Casey said. "I just want to help Natalie."

The fair also served as a great venue for residents to meet their local politicians.

Peter Haight brought his daughter, Ashley, to meet Yeager at the councilman's booth. She had written a letter to the Willow Glen Resident about a year ago to support Yeager's proposal to install a stop sign on Johnston Avenue, where she lives. Yeager wrote a letter to her, thanking her for her support.

Willow Glen's community spirit was best shown in the home tour of Palm Haven, a neighborhood built in 1913 at the intersection of Coe and Bird avenues. Six houses were on display to raise funds for the restoration of the six columns that serve as gateways to the neighborhood.

Members of the Northern Willow Glen Neighborhood Association (NWGNA) exhibited their antique cars at Palm Haven Park to show their support for the restoration project.

"We feel it is our responsibility to help our neighbors restore those pillars," said NWGNA President Allison England.

Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer Event VIP: San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales participates in the Willow Glen Founders' Day parade.

WGNA President John Gibbs said he was pleased that Founders' Day ended up being more successful than he had expected.

Gibbs said whether the neighborhood association will host next year's Founders' Day depends on whether it can break even this year. The neighborhood association will also discuss with the business association within the next few months how deeply the business association wants to be involved in the annual event.