Last year, in search of festive plans for Christmas Eve, I volunteered as a caroler for the Toluca Lake Magical Holiday Parade—formerly known as the "Christmas Caroling Truck" or the "Christmas Truck Parade."
This year, to the sacrifice of invites for dinners at friends' homes, I decided to experience this long-standing neighborhood tradition from the ground as a spectator.
It began on December 24, 1982 with a simple pickup truck that drove through the San Fernando Valley community of Toluca Lake, California blasting Christmas music. It then expanded into an 18-wheeler—until the COVID-19 pandemic put it on what some feared would be a permanent hiatus.
It's now back, thanks to Craig Strong of Strong Realtor taking over its management and building out a full-blown caravan of a (smiling) locomotive, a San Francisco cable car, a flatbed truck outfitted with a gingerbread house, and more.
It was nice to leave the singing to someone else this year, so I could focus on just enjoying the spectacle (and not "performing").
And as I followed it down Otsego Street, and as it turned onto Ledge Avenue, I could capture it from all angles.
I even got to witness it as the generator(s?) went out, and everything went dark.
It had already been running 40 minutes late by that point—so the mid-journey snafu just added to the delay.
Fortunately, this is a parade that's worth waiting for. And many of those who watch it just have to step out of their front doors and maybe walk a couple of blocks to see it (unlike me, who drove over a half hour to get up over the hill).
I mean, how often do you get to see Santa and his reindeer actually arriving in your neighborhood on Christmas Eve?
As promised last year, the route was adjusted and expanded this year—with plans to continue to do so.
After all, the most common complaint you'll hear from the community is that the truck used to come to a certain street and doesn't anymore.
Of course, it can't wind its way along all of the neighborhood streets—but the planned route does a nice job of getting the parade around past a lot of homes both north and south of Riverside Drive (and the 134 Freeway).
And if you don't have decorations on your own front lawn—or your neighbors have let their houses stay dark—the Magical Holiday Parade brings the North Pole to you.
Maybe you could even put in a good word with "The Big Guy" before he finishes his rounds for the night. I saw at least one kid hand-deliver their last-minute letter to Santa last night.
Some neighborhoods might complain about the noise, or the traffic congestion, or the lack of available parking spaces for visitors who may come from other neighborhoods. But the bedroom community of Toluca Lake embraces it, welcomes it. looks forward to it every year.
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