“The expectation of happiness is happiness itself,” wrote Jane Austen. In that case, the parking lot where the cars and riders assemble for the Downey Christmas Parade is the Happiest Place on Earth.

Thinking I might learn about those who make the parade happen, I went to the staging area ahead of time, instead of trying to find a place along the route of the parade. Every car driven has a story, and so does every person honored to ride in one. These stories have a way of expanding till they touch so many lives.

Sunday morning an hour before the Parade began, the parking lot on Downey Avenue just south of Florence Avenue was abuzz with preparation. Dust cloths gave the vintage cars a final flick; banners on convertibles announcing the town’s dignitaries were straightened. Even Santa combed his beard and mustache again.

A marine layer of fog had covered the sky all morning, but nothing dampened the spirits, and nothing could dim the luster on the cars all ready for the parade. Hoods mirrored the trees above them.

After waiting two years since the last event, more people than before were beginning to line the street. Building slowly, the crowd in the lot grew as the time got closer to the time when the parade would actually kick off, going south on Downey Avenue from Florence Avenue, till it turned left to the Civic Center, finishing with a flourish in front of City Hall, the Police Station, the Theatre and the Library.

Expectations were high because it had been two years since the last parade, Covid 19 having interrupted the string of 70 consecutive displays. Of the 20 or so timeless cars parked and ready, I asked classic car owner Jimmy Barger of Downey how long he has had his 1929 Model A Roadster pickup.

“Three years,” he said. “I’ve driven it in a few small events, but I’m excited to be driving it in a big parade like this one.”

Kirk Cartozian had his shiny turquoise Cadillac Coupe de Ville convertible lined up in the number one spot by the exit to Downey Avenue, because he was driving for the Grand Marshall Rick Rodriguez.

“I call this color California Blue,” said Kirk, a former mayor of Downey and owner of the Gaucho Grill in the Promenade.

When I spoke with Grand Marshall Rick, he shone too, from his red tie with tiny blue dots and matching packet square, to his two-tone brown oxford shoes.

“I’m working to keep up my health,” Rick said. “This is an honor to be here.”

Rick was wearing a red rose and a sprig of white flowers on his lapel.

Jeff of Long Beach had brought his 1915 Model T Ford, with gold tinsel wreaths placed around the radiator and headlights. He’s graced this parade before, and is a member of the Long Beach Model T Club. Today Jeff drove Dr. Jose Fierro, President of Cerritos College.

Walking through the lot with Martha Medford Sodetani was granddaughter Kennedy, age 6. Kennedy kept warm on this chilly morning in her magenta faux fur jacket over a pretty party dress with deep black and white stripes. The duo would be representing the Downey School Board.

From inside his highly polished 1966 Thunderbird, owner Dan showed how the steering wheel could be moved toward the center to make it easier to get into the classic car.

“The color,” Dan said, “is Thelma and Louise Blue.”

Fans of the movie of the same name will remember Thelma and Louise driving their brilliant turquoise T bird into the Grand Canyon. “Did they really trash a T Bird for the movie,” I wondered. Don’t worry, I learned, they used a scale model toy. Dan is a member of the Elks, and Martha and Kennedy would be riding with him.

“I drove my decorated milk truck up here,” said driver David in a red, white and blue Rockview Dairy truck, with a license plate that says Got Milk. “People were honking their horns and waving, and giving me a thumbs up, all the way from the Dairy at Old River School Road and Stewart and Gray.”

David’s truck was a 1954 GIVCO, an open-sided model for making easy home deliveries back in the day. Rockview Farms is a family-owned and operated dairy that has been in Downey since 1927, and they’ve participated in many Downey holiday parades.

Another vintage Model T, this one from 1926, was driven by Mike from Bellflower. “I have owned her since 1999,” said Mike. “Another four payments and she’ll be mine.”

Mike is a 1979 graduate of Downey High. “Best years of my life’ he said. Mike would be driving City Councilperson Catherine Alvarez, who was ready to go in a fitted red and green striped poncho.

Ken was displaying an almost-black 1961 Lincoln Continental convertible so large it might have been mistaken for a small boat.

“The color,” said Ken, “is black cherry.” How did he get it to shine like this? “Just polish” he said, “then sand it and polish it again, and repeat. And repeat.”

State Senator Bob Archuleta in a holly red Christmas sweater rode in his own matching red convertible. There was a big black 2018 Jeep, suitably decorated, driven and owned Lance Poole of Downey, proving that black contemporary classics can look good up against the black 1915 Model T.

Maestro Sharon Lavery, conductor of the Downey Symphony Orchestra, was scheduled to ride along with DSS president Anthony Crespo, in the Downey Symphonic Society Board member Bill Hare’s maroon 1983 Buick convertible.

“Bought it from Simpson Buick, right here in Downey,” said Bill. Luckily for Trojan Bill, the only color other than standard white offered that year was maroon.

“This was the last of the big convertibles Buick made,” Bill said, “in an extremely limited edition. The door alone is five feet long, and the car weighs 4600 pounds, more than two tons.”

On Downey Avenue outside the staging area, the Fire Department was assembling some of its trucks, including the battalion chief’s car, fire engine red, naturally, and a green-trimmed vehicle with a half dozen elves in green riding in the back.

According to Chief Dan Hurlock, the Downey Fire Department has as always been collecting toys of needy tots for the holidays.

“I love this parade,” said former Mayor Mario Guerra. “It’s great to be able to get together again and celebrate this great city, with our Police Department and Fire Department, and most of all, we are celebrating our great people.”

Mario and grandson Benny rode in an Army vehicle, a Ford Super Duty F450 XLT, driven by an Army sergeant and supervised by a Captain Charles Johnson, who joined in our last parade too. Captain Johnson hails from Bradenton, Florida, but he’s stationed in Long Beach at the Army Recruiting Office. Hard to tell the truck’s basic color is black, because it was covered with recruiting pictures and posters.

Mario is the Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army, and he does his job as spokesman for the Army with all the enthusiasm he brought to his time on the Downey City Council and as Mayor. Wife Ann is doing well after recent foot surgery, Mario assured me.

The lot was full of people getting the cars ready to move. On the sidewalks band members were scurrying, joined by a man in a Scots kilt and cap with drumsticks stuck in his belt. Families came by, with babies in carriages, and little dogs on leashes. Other elements of the Parade joined in from the other lots, including the traditionally final entry, Santa. There would be nearly 60 entries, including a first, the Santa Fe Springs Dance Company’s opening dance number.

Back to the pleasures of anticipation, “If you come at four in the afternoon,” Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince, “I'll begin to be happy by three.” It was 12:35, just past noon, and we early birds were happy already. The morning fog was breaking up. The sun broke through the blue patches in the sky, and Downey’s 70th was about to become a reality for the all the people waiting along the route.

The parade would have its place in the sun after all, and the start of the parade lay just ahead.

The sights, sounds and sweet rides of the Downey Christmas Parade