Folsom Hometown Parade Draws Huge, Enthusiastic Patriotic Crowd – Folsom Times

The Historic Folsom Hometown Parade once again captivated the community in grand style Saturday with its patriotic spirit and local charm. The event continued a busy week in the Historic District, following the weekly Summer Twilight Series concert on Thursday evening and the 3^rd annual Hometown Country Radio show on Friday, two events that packed the Zittel Family Amphitheater and followed the parade, which drew a huge crowd.

Before the parade, a community pancake breakfast was held, during which a bargain sale was offered to benefit a local non-profit organization. This year’s Hometown Parade, presented by Lakeside Church and the Folsom Hotel, started at 9:30 a.m. and walked along Sutter Street from Scott Street to Decatur Street.

With some 70 entries, the parade featured both returning favorites and new additions, including mini donkeys from the Folsom Zoo, Santa’s Cottage, roller skating cowboys, the Painted Ladies precision equestrian team and a summer example of the Historic District’s popular holiday skating rink . . Numerous local participants represented service clubs, youth groups and local entertainers.

“We couldn’t be more excited to once again bring this family-friendly event to the district,” said Judy Collinsworth, executive director of the Historic District. She shared with the Folsom Times that about 70 volunteers joined together to help orchestrate this year’s parade. These dedicated volunteers played a variety of roles, from planning the event to decorating at the start of the day, organizing the entries, managing parking, and providing “hometown hospitality” to the large crowds of attendees.

Saturday’s wave of red, white and blue swept down Sutter Street on Saturday, beginning with the Color Guard leading this year’s convoy of nearly 70 different participants. Jessica Visconti of Folsom had the honor of introducing the national anthem this year as she rode down the street in a vehicle during the opening stages of the event. From there, it was a menagerie of various forms of entertainment, floats, bands and more, many of which were put together by local service organizations, businesses, youth groups and individuals.

Members of the Folsom City Council and various city and county leaders made their way down the street, each escorted aboard beautifully restored vehicles, which were just a few of the many impressive cars and trucks in this year’s parade. The entries even included a little bit of Folsom’s Christmas magic this year, with Santa’s Cottage, curated by Bacchus House Bistro, giving onlookers a taste of what’s to come as the holiday season approaches in the county this year.

Brad Franklin, a former pastor and Folsom resident, was this year’s Grand Marshal of the parade. Franklin retired in October after 36 years as the founder and lead pastor of Lakeside Church. He was followed by a float with members of the Lakeside music team, who played live music along the route. Kristen Brown, a leading 2023 contestant on “The Voice,” sang “America the Beautiful” to open the parade, and Jessica Visconti of the Visconti Family’s Ristorante sang the national anthem.

Franklin expressed his honor and excitement about his appointment as Grand Marshal, sharing, “I love that our growing city still feels like a small town. I love how people are connecting and serving in our city, and I love that our churches get to be a part of that.” Franklin, who lives in Folsom’s Historic District with his wife and pastoral partner, Donna, shared his signature line: “‘Love your neighbor’ expands to ‘love your neighborhood,’ which expands to ‘love your community.'”

As Saturday’s parade came to a close, it was clear that it was now officially rodeo time in Folsom as the Folsom Pro Rodeo and the new Sacramento County Sheriff’s Rodeo were well represented as the last few participants in the parade. From the Rodeo Legends to the pint-sized sheep breakers, Grand Marshal Brian Martell, Sheriff Jim Cooper and of course the always graceful and colorful Painted Ladies Rodeo Performs atop their beautiful horses officially closed out the parade.

The sides of Sutter Street were packed with spectators on Saturday. For those unable to attend in person, this year’s event was streamed live for the first time by local online news source FolsomTimes.com and their community partners. Viewers could watch the event later live or on-demand via the community news site, with free admission for all.

The Historic Folsom Hometown Parade once again proved to be a heartwarming celebration of community, patriotism and local spirit, leaving attendees eagerly anticipating next year’s festivities. Folsom Times photos by Bill Sullivan.