Willow Glen Resident
News
Photograph by Vicki Thompson
Rah, Rah: Willow Glen High School cheerleaders Anjelica Najera (left) and Vicky Silva march down Lincoln Avenue during homecoming. This year the weather cooperated.
Homecoming is a strong tradition
By Mayra Flores De Marcotte
Residents spilled onto Lincoln Avenue from neighboring streets to watch Willow Glen High School's homecoming parade Oct. 14.
Some families staked out their spots in front of shops with lawn chairs, while others claimed bus benches and curbs.
The traditional Ford Thunderbirds led the procession, followed by cheerleaders from both Willow Glen High School and Gardner Academy. There was the Latino club with its mariachi music and colorful folkloric dancers and the high school's band club, all to make sure the crowd was treated to a high-energy performance.
The highlight of the parade were the high school floats, decorated with the classes' interpretations of the different decades--flowers and VW buses for the 1960s, disco for the 1970s, neon colors and spandex for the 1980s, and N'Sync blaring out of the 1990s float.
Along with the events on Lincoln Avenue, the Willow Glen High School Carnival and Craft Fair set up shop in the parking lot next to the high school's football field.
But unlike last year's overcast and sometime wet weather, this year's morning activities were bathed in sun.
"The weather cooperated this year," says carnival and craft fair organizer Teri Kane.
This was the fair's second year, a successful sequel to last year's event. Vendors, organizations and neighboring elementary schools all had booths with a variety of items for sale. The event included an array of carnival games. Kane says although the majority of the vendors at the fair were repeat sellers, there were many new faces.
The San Jose Day Nursery had a booth where children could paint mini pumpkins. Parents for A Better Education, a group of Booksin Elementary School mothers dedicated to promoting the Willow Glen middle and high schools, sold Willow Glen T-shirts.
Homecoming also included a special seating section for the football games, for alumni only, with the purchase of tickets for the section or a new membership to the Willow Glen Foundation. The foundation came up with the fundraiser idea as a way to bring in additional revenue and members.
Kane says the success of this year's event is due in part to the feedback from vendors received last year.
"We were told to promote the event more," Kane says.
The Garden Theater helped by listing the festivities on its marquee.
"It was very nice to see that marquee in use again," Kane says.
The organizers also promoted the high school with bandanas for pets and students who attend participating schools.
The San Jose Day Nursery distributed 100 of these school pride accessories to their parents and children up and down Lincoln Avenue. Children were seen sporting the high school's red and gold colors.
"All in all, it was a nice community event to bring out the neighborhood," Kane says. "It showed off Willow Glen at its finest."
