With gray skies overhead, the Lompoc Valley Flower Festival Parade featured colorful displays of flowers on vehicles, clothing and critters on Saturday morning.
About four dozen entries traveled south on H Street and then west on Ocean Avenue as the parade returned following three years without it because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Let’s go, Lompoc,” a participant said to kick off the procession.
Longtime Lompoc Valley Medical Center board member Frank Signorelli served as the grand marshal.
Flower Festival Queen Ava Nasr, who was sponsored by the Lompoc Rotary Club, rode on a flower-filled float with her court.
The Lompoc Comprehensive Care Center continued its tradition of naming a king and queen, with Kenneth Fleming and Shirley Duckett donning crowns for the occasion.
The 70th annual Lompoc Valley Flower Festival, with the theme of “Country Road,” wraps up Sunday at Ryon Park on West Ocean Avenue.
The Boys & Girls Club entry for the Lompoc Valley Flower Festival Parade on Saturday includes bandanas and cowboy hats for the event’s theme of “Country Road.” (Janene Scully / Noozhawk photo) 
Garcia Dance Studio members perform in the Lompoc Flower Festival Parade on Saturday morning. (Janene Scully / Noozhawk photo) 
Cabrillo HIgh School cheerleaders smile as they perform in the Lompoc Valley Flower Festival Parade on Saturday morning. (Janene Scully / Noozhawk photo) 
Boscutti Ballet Theatre students perform in the Lompoc Valley Flower Festival Parade on Saturday morning. (Janene Scully / Noozhawk photo) 
The 2023 Lompoc Valley Flower Festival queen, Ava Nasr, practices her wave before the parade begins on Saturday morning. She was joined by her court for the parade. (Janene Scully / Noozhawk photo) 
Lompoc Councilwoman Gilda Cordova and Mayor Jenelle Osborne laugh as they ride in the Lompoc Flower Festival Parade on Saturday morning. (Janene Scully / Noozhawk photo) 
The Lompoc Comprehensive Care’s queen, Shirley Duckett, waves to the crowd while accompanied by king Kenneth Fleming for the Lompoc Valley Flower Festival Parade on Saturday morning. (Janene Scully / Noozhawk photo) 
After earlier covering his ears to block out the siren, a young child waves to the crowd from the back seat of a Bureau of Prisons vehicle during the Lompoc Valley Flower Festival Parade on Saturday morning. (Janene Scully / Noozhawk photo) 
Flowers adorn the ship for attorney Michael Clayton’s entry in the Lompoc Valley Flower Festival. (Janene Scully / Noozhawk photo) 
The Lompoc Valley Florist entry for the Flower Festival Parade sports plenty of flowers on Saturday morning. (Janene Scully / Noozhawk photo)
The nonprofit Lompoc Valley Festival Association organizes the event with a large force of volunteers.
On the festival’s final day, Live Love Dance will perform at 10:30 a.m. followed by Garcia Dance Studio at 11:30 a.m. Both groups also participated in the parade on Saturday.
The schedule later Sunday includes an assortment of Latino musicians, including 805 Cali Tejano at 2:45 p.m. and Las Chikas, an all-female salsa band, at 4:30 p.m.
Festival admission is $5 with children age 12 or younger admitted for free.
An assortment of Guadagno & Sons Amusements (G&S Shows) carnival rides, food booths, arts and crafts, and commercial vendors can be found at the park.
The Flower Festival celebrates the community’s roots in the flower industry that involved world-famous colorful fields of flowers attracting visitors.
While fewer fields exist, and other crops fill the fields, some colorful displays can be found, typically west of the city.
For the full entertainment schedule, carnival rides and more, go to lompocvalleyfestivals.com.
Saturday’s parade in Lompoc was one of three in the North County. The Old Santa Ynez Day Parade, with the Santa Barbara County Cattlewomen as grand marshals, include equestrian units, dancers and more traveling on Sagunto Street.
The Old Santa Ynez Days Rodeo continues Sunday with ticket and other information available here.
In Solvang, the second Santa Ynez Valley Pride Parade occurred and was followed by a festival in Solvang Park with speakers and musical acts.