The annual San Juan Bautista bonfire dating back to the 1930s will light up the Mission City sky at sundown Friday.
The San Juan Bautista Service Club puts on the annual bonfire event. The bonfire coincides with a visit from Santa at the community center along with handouts of candy, apples and oranges — a long-held tradition — to the kids.
Larry Cain from the San Juan Bautista Service Club explained Santa Claus is driven around town before dark and arrives at the community center. Children are let in, get the traditional bag of treats, and can sit on Santa’s lap.
The service club gives out about 200-225 gift bags, Cain said.
Then visitors will go out and watch the bonfire at the corner of San Jose and First streets.
“People in town enjoy the bonfire,” Cain said. “They come year after year.”
For safety reasons, the fire department is made aware of the bonfire, and organizers create the pile the day before the event so they know what’s in it.
“Our job is to pile it up and afterwards to clean it up,” Cain said.
The event dates back about eight decades, Cain noted.
“We have never had any problems,” he said.
Photo courtesy of the San Juan Bautista Service Club
