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Ripon has picked itself back up after a rough last year and back better than ever. In our late days of September, we had picked up the tradition to stroll through downtown Ripon in our high- school and elementary parade floats- the outcome was incredible. 

“I liked getting to throw candies at the younger kids, see everyone dancing and enjoying themselves…Everyone got to put a piece of their own creativity on the float,” stated senior, Nestor Verduzco, president of Estudiantes Unidos Club. 

Multiple floats were neatly designed by clubs and groups at Ripon High and our elementary schools, presenting some of the most talented pieces for Ripon. The Queen and King of Homecoming, along with the rest of the court also made an appearance, leaving us breathless in their formal dresses and suits. While the parade route took course through the Almond Valley Church through downtown Ripon, it was not long enough to capture the beauty of our handcrafted floats. 

 “We used Coco(as our theme), a movie based on the Day of the Dead. We thought it would be easy to design since we’re a cultural club, Estudiantes Unidos,” stated Verdusco. 

Many themes were represented in our annual Ripon parade, targeting various interests so a more diverse audience range would be able to enjoy the collaborations. 

“We (cheerleaders) used Alice in Wonderland and the Mad Hatter Teaparty as our inspiration. It (float) came together really well and was really pretty. I love the community of Ripon and how we all came together,” stated senior, Natalie Schwertfeger. 

It’s always a wonderful experience to come down and cheer for our students and community members in their parade. Getting to see our community collaborate and come together for once in a very long time makes for a very memorable event.