Parade brings tradition, spirit together for record-breaking fun

This year's Wasco Rose Festival Parade saw record-breaking participation with 60 entries, 950 participants and 92 vehicles. The 2024 Grand Marshals, James and Helen Medrano, Mike and Chris McCurdy, and the Honorary Grand Marshals, the Wasco Knights of Columbus, along with the newly crowned 2024 Miss Wasco Rose Queen Rihanna Sanchez, were celebrated guests. Thousands of spectators, both local and from afar, lined the streets to cheer on festive floats, school marching bands, classic cars, trucks and the Honor Guard.

The Kern County Sheriff's Mounted Posse, involved for decades, was led by Captain Ray Harper. "It's an honor to be a part of this group and to be able to participate," he said. "We do these throughout, and Wasco is one of our favorite parades. We train our horses for it."

Eleazar Del Toro Ramirez from Buttonwillow took third place with his vehicle, El_Presidente_UTV. "It's covered in artwork dedicated to historical figures of Mexico and the Aztec calendar. The parade was a great opportunity to show it off to the people of Wasco. I appreciate those who took out their cameras to take photos and uploaded them to their social media pages. It felt really good to receive admiration for my car. It was an amazing day, and I'm excited for next year."

Jesse Flores, owner of Carnitas el Jesse, shared, "I felt the love of the community. The crowd was cheering us on, and they were grateful that we were giving away t-shirts and hats. It made me proud to be a Wasconian."

Spectators were impressed with the lineup, including the Ramirez family, who attend every year. "It's a tradition for us. Our kids love it. My little girl goes crazy over the queen."

Ashley Vega took the train from Bakersfield with her boyfriend. "We came because we love the roses and wanted to see what Wasco was about. We enjoyed the families, music, lowriders and food. We came early to get a good spot for the parade and the shade."

Gayle Coleman, a regular attendee, said, "With the roses, the Rose Queen, the bands, and the floats, it's beautiful to see the community keeping it going. I loved this year's theme, 'Small Town, Big Ideas.' It means unity, celebration and seeing everyone smile."

Genesis Espinosa of Wasco LifeHouse Youth distributed sno cones and motivational biblical stickers. "We're trying to build connections and empower the young people of Wasco."

Kelly Fargo, VP of Community Relations at Strata Credit Union, served as a judge. "Every float told a story of tradition and the spirit of Wasco. What a privilege to participate in such a special event. It was so much fun!"

Jenny Cortez of CAL Home Pros hosted the judges and said, "This is our second year. It's one of our community's best traditions."

The competition was fierce, and after careful deliberation, the parade judges selected the winners:

Car Clubs: 1st - Rusty Volks Car Club, 2nd - Mopar Goddess, 3rd - Off Road Car Club

Equestrian: 1st - Kern County Sheriff's Mounted Posse, 2nd - Juan Sandoval, 3rd - Luis Ramos

Floats: 1st - Wasco FFA, 2nd – 2024 Rose Queen, 3rd - LifeHouse Church

Schools: 1st - John L. Prueitt Elementary, 2nd - Semitropic Elementary, 3rd - James A. Forrest Elementary

Other Organizations: 1st - Wasco Golfcart Crew, 2nd - Wasco Tigers Taekwondo, 3rd - Planet Dance Studio

Other Vehicles: 1st - Mike and Chris McCurdy, 2nd - James and Helen Medrano, 3rd - City of Wasco

Christi Johnson of the Wasco Rose Festival Group expressed gratitude to everyone involved: "I want to thank everyone who participated and those who came out to watch. A special thank you to all the judges - Kelly Fargo, Sherry Knapp, Ludy Landois, Miriam Lopez, Lupe Macias, Rusvel Prado, and Blanca Soto - the announcer, Steve Dobbs, and Tilo and Jenny Cortez for hosting our judges."