EL CAJON, Calif. — You know you can tell the holiday day season is right around the corner when the Mother Goose Parade comes to El Cajon. This year is the 75th anniversary and CBS 8 has been to almost all of them.
Let's take a look back.
Carmela Dunbar has been going to the Mother Goose Parade for as long as she can remember.
"It just sets off the whole holiday season, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas and the New Year," she said. "It's just pure excitement. You couldn't wait for the parade to start. 250,000 people were coming to the Mother Goose Parade."
Because of the pandemic, there will be no crowds lining the streets of El Cajon to watch the Mother Goose Parade but the show will go on - virtually.
Mother Goose Parades in El Cajon from 1960 - 2000s - San Diego County's largest parade
News 8 aired the Mother Goose Parade on Sunday on the CW at 1 p.m. Mark Grant or "Mud" to his Padres fans will be this year's host for the virtual parade.
"Parades... Americana isn't in? Families, kids, adults it doesn't matter - you go to a parade it doesn't cater to just one age group," Mark said. "Nothing better than being in person at an event but with technology these days we have adjusted. Same thing for the Mother Goose Parade - bring the sounds right to your living room."
And since this will be the 75th Mother Goose Parade it's important to keep making those traditions just like those of Carmela's family.
"My dad brought us to the parade every year for as long as I can remember for many many years. In 1984 I was asked to run as Queen of the Mother Goose Parade and I won," she said.
And her Dad was Old King Coal in the parade for over 25 years.
"If anybody remembers my dad, they know there's only one person that could wear that costume and that was my dad," Camela said.
Those are the memories Mark hopes people will make when they watch the Mother Goose Parade this Sunday.