Here ye, hear ye, all hail King Kim Steel and Queen Caroline Chufar of the 2015 Santa Barbara Solstice Parade.
The royal pair receive a prize package including a night’s stay at the historic Upham Hotel, meals at The Palace and Pascucci restaurants, $250, and a Sungevity goody bag with sunglasses, a T-shirt and waka waka (a solar charger for cell phones).
The two lucky locals will be crowned at the Arts Fund, 205C Santa Barbara St., from 5 to 7 p.m. this Saturday, June 13. The coronation is free and open to all royal subjects (the public).
King Kim purchased three queen raffle tickets and a friend bought her one for the king title.
“The raffle rules said the titles were nongender specific, so why not?” says King Kim, a waitress at Harry’s and IHOP who will be attended in the parade by dear friend Aikka Nolasco. King Kim grew up in Carpinteria, “then moved to The Big City (Santa Barbara).”
Queen Caroline’s brother-in-law. Robert Johns (husband of 2014 King John Chufar). purchased five tickets on her behalf. A singing Realtor with Sterling Properties in Montecito, Queen Caroline is a member of the Inner Light Gospel choir and Paradise Jazz singers. Her attendants will be friends Eli Zari, Monica Langhorne and Sheryl Trevethan Scott.
At high noon on Saturday, June 20, the sci-fi-themed parade begins to make its way from Cota Street up State Street to Micheltorena Street. Decked out in their royal Solstice garb (complete with crowns), King Kim and Queen Caroline will be pushed on their thrones through the parade sponsored by Sungevity (a solar energy provider for homeowners and business owners). For the first time, several of the parade floats will be powered by the sun as Sungevity provided solar panels are behind the music.
If you love the parade, look for the Pass the Hat fundraising float and contribute to Solstice, a nonprofit event. Look for a giant sun wearing a top hat around the middle of the parade. Hats off to you the community for helping the parade happen every year.
Long live King Kim and Queen Caroline!
— Wendy Jenson is a publicist for the Santa Barbara Summer Solstice Celebration.