Cotati Kids Parade Still a Teen – Just 19 Years Old

Cotati Kids Day turns 19 on Saturday, and celebrates in style with a pancake breakfast, parade and festival in La Plaza Park. But it’s been no walk in the park to get here.

For many years a City of Cotati heritage celebration – the town was founded in July of 1963 – the annual event seemed endangered with the dissolution of the Recreation Department in 2009.

But the Cotati Chamber of Commerce adopted it, and this year they will be sponsoring their second – with many of the same volunteers who have been involved with the event for years.

“We have a couple people who’ve been working on it for 19 years,” said Suzanne Whipple, executive director of the CCC. “They’d be working on it whether it were a city event or not.”

The parade officially begins at 10 a.m., after a pancake breakfast starting at 7 a.m. at Church of the Oaks (Sierra and Page). The theme of the parade is “Bedtime Stories,” so participants are encouraged to come to the parade or even the park dressed as favorite character (or in your best pajamas.) Think classic fairy tales and stories of adventure.

The route is the same as last year, from the Ray Miller Community Center on School Street, up Sierra to Henry, over to Old Redwood Highway, then down to La Plaza Park. It's not very far, but since everyone in town seems to be in the parade, it could take awhile.

The Chamber of Commerce wanted to insure that the Cotati Kids Day will be an ongoing part of Cotati’s heritage, and this year they’ve upped the ante, with $100 prizes for winners of each parade category in addition to the traditional ribbons. Categories include Best Commercial Entry, Best Nonprofit Entry,  Youth Group Entry, Motorcycle Entry, Antique Car, Classic Car, Entry featuring Animals, Individual (4), Drill Team/Color Guard, and Best Marching Band.

Awards will be given out at noon, including one to 10-year-old Camryn Owens from Marguarite Hahn School, winner of the Poster Contest. Then there’s kid-friendly food, music, games, activity booths, a diaper derby (for crawlers) and more.

Several stage acts are promised between noon and 3 p.m. that should be entertaining for “kids of all ages,” which Whipple insisted was the target demographic. Music includes Absolute Zero, a band from Petaluma High School; the Narrow Way Stage Company, Music to My Ears, and Dance Journey, all local actors, singers and dancers.

Don’t plan on missing Ananta Fiddle-hopper, who has mastered the rare talent of playing violin and hula-hooping at the same time. MC will be DJ Fiz-Nik Rick.

NOTE: Rohnert Park Patch will be creating a “Community Viewfinder,” a gallery of images from the kid's parade and festival at La Plaza Park. Starting at noon, look for the Cotati Kids Parade story on our website, with images from and to get you started. Then be sure to add your own!