They never know who will show. They never know who will march. But every year, July 4 y'all, upwards of 3,000 people drape themselves in red, white and good old blue lining the length of Paseo Delicias to celebrate America's grand old birthday.
Rancho Santa Fe celebrates the Fourth of July as only Rancho Santa Fe can, classy, fun and hip, hip hooray.
For the 29th year in a row, the community's ad hoc parade -- come as you are, but unfortunately, don't bring your dog for paws may get scorched -- forms at 12:15 p.m. at the Rancho Santa Fe Association parking lot on Avenida de Acacias.
Richard Scuba, a Rancho Santa Fe legend, died three years ago, but he, and fellow members of the Rancho Santa Fe Polo Club -- a polo club without any ponies, players or polo fields, by the way -- started this patriotic fiesta that continues today under the proud guidance of former military special ops soldier turned real estate agent Chaco Clotfelter.
"We never have a clue who will show up," the ebullient Scuba used to say, "for we are the Rancho Santa Fe Polo Club, not the one with the polo club in Rancho Santa Fe."
Assembled 30 years ago, the Rancho Santa Fe Polo Club, so-called, would assemble at area beer gardens for a bit of non-spousal revery. They needed a good cover story, obviously, and when the beer haze lifted divined one. They told significant others they were working on the polo club.
"Nobody played polo or even rode a horse," Scuba said. As if it mattered.
During the course of polo club "events", they came up with a new plan in 1981. "We'll tell everybody about this parade and have everybody show up," Scuba said. "We're not political, just patriotic."
People showed up alright, a whole lotta, lotta of them. They marched free-form in support of the Fourth. Towns-folk, kids on bikes, politicians riding convertibles, funny cars, service groups, anybody, and everybody, came to salute the nation. And so it went...
These days, people show up early, and often, to secure prime viewing spots along Rancho Santa Fe's main avenue, Paseo Delicias, in one of the most unique, and memorable, small town tributes to the holiday. About 300 people generally roll across the tree-lined street, some literally on bicycles, skateboards and roller blades. A Marine Corps band serenades them as does Don Caneva's Coastal Communities Concert Band at a post-parade patriotic medley soiree on the community park green.
The event this year has accumulated a few "official" sponsors besides the highly unofficial polo club. The Rancho Santa Fe Association and Rancho Santa Fe Community Center come along for the sponsorship ride this year.
Clotfelter, and company, promise parade princesses, floats, clowns, fire trucks, vintage cars, an honor guard, decorated bikes and golf carts, Boys and Girls Scouts and "ice cream at the Inn" among other delicacies. The community center and Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club, again, will serve hamburgers, hot dogs, veggie burgers, chicken and all the fixings for the throng.
And oh, by the way, the community concert of patriotic music starts, more-or-less, at 1:30 p.m.
Ready to ramble? For more information call Chaco at 858-342-3050, or email him at chaco@willisallen.com.
